


Finding Harmony

by Quickspinner



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Because honestly what is even going on this season, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Luka supporting her, Lukanette, Marinette fixing her mistakes, Season 3 Spoilers, lukanette endgame, one sided adrienette, one sided adrigami, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-10-19 16:20:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 34,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20660132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickspinner/pseuds/Quickspinner
Summary: Before any note can harmonize with another, it has to be on pitch. When Luka agrees to work with Marinette on a design project, he's happy to see that she's started making some changes for her own happiness. “It’s like you’re tuning your strings right now. You started out a little flat, and then you tuned too sharp. So now you're working back towards your true pitch." As she gets closer to striking her true note, he can't help but think how beautiful they sound together.He wishes she could hear it too.





	1. The Key of M

“Marinette wants your body.”

Luka nearly swallowed the guitar pick he had clamped between his lips. He made a muffled sound and dropped the sheet music he’d been trying to arrange so he could whip the pick out of his mouth to demand, “What did you say?” He moved his guitar off his lap and turned to hang his legs off the edge of the bed so he could face his sister as she crossed from the door towards her end of the cabin.

“Finally,” Juleka smirked. “I’ve called your name three times. Marinette’s been trying to call you for like an hour.” 

“What?” Luka frowned and shuffled around on his bed, finally finding his phone half-buried under his pillow. Sure enough, he had a bunch of missed notifications. “Oops,” he muttered.

“I just got back from her place,” Juleka told him, sitting sideways in her vanity chair to face him. “She’s got an idea that she’s all fired up on and she’s wondering if you’d be willing to model with me for it.”

“You know I’d do anything for you, Jul,” he said almost automatically.

Juleka smirked. “I know you’d do anything for Marinette.”

Luka smiled ruefully. “Yeah, that too.”

“Sap.” 

“Like you can talk. I’m gonna go call her back now.” He stood up and walked out to the deck.

Marinette picked up on the first ring with a delighted “Luka!” that made his heart skip a bit. 

“Hey, Marinette, sorry I missed your messages, I was kinda in the zone and I wasn’t paying attention to my phone. Juleka just told me you were trying to reach me.”

“No problem, I understand, I’ve been there! I’m sorry I interrupted, though, I guess this could have waited, it’s just I was excited and you know I’m a planner and—”

“Breathe, Marinette, it’s fine.” He smiled, leaning on the rail of the boat. “What do you need?”

“Well, you know I felt really bad about that whole Reflekdoll thing a while back—”

“That wasn’t your fault.”

“I know, but—“ Marinette sighed. “Well, never mind about that. I still feel bad for Juleka and now that I know she wants to model I started thinking about what would look good on her, because you know the suit before was cute all but it didn’t really scream Juleka, and so I started messing around with some designs, more of my edgy stuff, you know, the kind of thing I do for Jagged Stone and Kitty Section, and the more I thought about it the more excited I got and I think I have some really cool concepts—”

“Breathe, Marinette,” he repeated, grinning. 

“Right. Sorry. Anyway um I guess designing for Juleka kind of got me thinking about you, and I have some things in mind that I think would look really good on you and I was wondering if you would mind taking some pictures with Juleka when the pieces are done? What do you think?”

“I think all you had to say was ‘Hey Luka, will you model my designs with Juleka,’ and I’d have been sold,” Luka chuckled. “I don’t know if I’ll be any good but you know I’d do anything to help my two favorite girls. Just tell me when and where and what you need me to do.”

The delighted squeal that answered him left him grinning for an hour.

* * *

“Mom Luka’s here we’ll be in my room see you later!”

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Cheng,” Luka said with a chuckle, as he followed Marinette through the bakery at a slightly more civilized pace.

“Good to see you, Luka. There’s a plate of snacks in the fridge if you two get hungry.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

It was a good thing he’d been to Marinette’s place with the rest of the band, because she was so far ahead of him he might as well have been by himself. When he climbed up through the hatch into her bedroom (her room was really pretty cool for not being a boat), Marinette nearly barreled right into him. “Whoa!” he cried, catching her around the waist just in time to keep her from falling over. “Relax, Marinette, I’m not going to turn into a pumpkin. You can slow down a little.” He waited until she was sure she had her balance back, and then let her go.

“Sorry,” Marinette said, bouncing slightly on her toes and then grabbing his hand to drag him to her chaise. “I’m just so excited to show you. I hope you’ll like it.”

Luka took a seat on her chaise as she directed and smiled as he watched her rush around. “It’s great to see you so inspired. Maybe I’m off base, but it just feels like you’ve been missing a little bit of your spark lately.”

“Yeah,” Marinette sighed, and it was like all the frenetic energy drained out of her at once. She came and sat next to him on the chaise, looking almost...mournful. “A lot of things have been happening, and I’m starting to realize that I’ve been...prioritizing the wrong things. Sometimes the wrong people.” She glanced at him and then away, twisting her fingers. “I didn’t like the person I was becoming. Which is complicated, because I didn’t like the person I was before, either. Before I met Alya and A-Adrien and got to be better friends with Nino and Kitty Section.” She flashed him a crooked smile. “You wouldn’t have liked me then either. I was a pushover and a victim and a...a bystander.” Luka moved closer and put his hand on her shoulder in silent encouragement. “Some things happened at the beginning of the school year that really pushed me out of that comfort zone, and I started really trying to be a friend, someone my friends can rely on, and for a while it was great. I still messed up a lot but I started standing up for myself and other people, and I wasn’t such a spectator. But...” Marinette chewed her lip. “I don’t know, I feel like somewhere in the last few months I got confused.”

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” She nodded slowly. “I need to find a way back to the person I wanted to be. Except I don’t even know who that is, because if I don’t like who I was before and I don’t like who I became, then where am I trying to go?” She moaned faintly and put her face in her hands. “And all you did was compliment me and now I’m just spewing this out all over you and you didn’t ask for any of this, I’m so sorry. I’m probably not even making sense.”

“Marinette, you’re making perfect sense,” Luka said, squeezing her shoulder, and reaching down for the guitar case. “It sounds like you’ve been bottling that up for a while.” She nodded, face still in her hands. “It’s like...you’re tuning your strings right now,” he continued. He set his guitar on his lap, set his fingers and plucked a string. “That’s G, right? You started out a little flat.” He moved his fingers and played a G flat. “So you started tuning towards your true pitch.” He played G again. “But you overshot and you went sharp.” He played the G sharp. “So now you’re working back towards G again.” He plucked the G one more time and grinned. “Or maybe it’s M in your case.”

”There isn’t any M, Luka,” Marinette giggled. 

“I think there is,” Luka smiled, fingers fluttering in a familiar pattern as he played up and down a G major scale. “I think you’ll find it.” He looked up and met her eyes. “And when you do, it’ll be beautiful.” 

Marinette held his gaze for a moment, then blushed and looked at her hands. “Thanks Luka. I know—well, you’re one of the people I haven’t treated so well, so...thanks for understanding.”

“I could tell it wasn’t the true note, the real you. We all make mistakes, Marinette. You’ve always been honest and sincere with me, and I value that more than anything.”

Marinette smiled weakly. “I feel like that should be part of the Couffaine family motto. _ Liberté, sincerité, originalité.” _

Luka laughed out loud. “I like it.” 

Marinette, smiled, and the light came back into her eyes as she jumped up. “Enough navel gazing. How do you feel about snakes?”

Luka’s eyes widened slightly and he felt a flicker of panic. “Uh—”

“Because I have the greatest plan for you,” Marinette said, rushing over to her desk. “Check this out.” She pulled up a board that had been laying flat on her desk and held it vertical so he could see it. Front and center was a large picture of a blue and black striped snake with a red head and tail. It was bold and striking and it looked nothing like Viperion. Luka relaxed a little. He should have known better.

“Snakes are cool,” he grinned. “I like the colors.” 

Marinette squealed and bounced a little. “I know, they’re perfect for you! I mean blue was the easy choice but I was afraid that would be predictable and boring but then I found this picture and—Can you help me hold this? Thanks. So the snake—it’s called a Malasian coral snake by the way—is the inspiration for collection, see? I’m working out an embroidery design, and I’m also incorporating the colors, although not as much on Juleka’s, I want to use mostly black for her with maybe a bright pop of color, maybe the red, see? And if she’s posing with you, maybe she won’t be so nervous. It’ll be a good way to help her get a little more experience so she’ll be more comfortable next time, and if the photos turn out well she’ll have a start to her portfolio.”

“Sounds great. You’re so thoughtful, Marinette. I know Juleka will appreciate it,” he told her admiringly.

“I really haven’t been lately,” Marinette sighed, as he helped her lay the board back down flat. “But I’m trying to be better.”

Luka touched her shoulder. “If you really want to change yourself, I know you can, Marinette. If it’s worth anything, I think you’re pretty great the way you are.”

He jolted when Marinette turned to him and threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tight, but he put one arm around her and hugged her back. “Thanks Luka,” she whispered. “You’re the best.”

He patted her back gently, resisting the urge to really hold her. “So, what do I need to do?”

“Measurements!” Marinette snapped back on task. “I need to take some measurements. Especially for the shirts and jacket, I’ve got to make sure there’s room for all—” she gestured vaguely at his shoulders. “That.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “All what?”

She rolled her eyes at him and turned to her desk to dig out a measuring tape. “Take off your jacket, Luka.”

He did as she asked, laying the guitar back in the open case and dropping his denim jacket and hoodie on the end of the chaise. Marinette pursed her lips as she turned back to him, then took his wrist and held up his arm so that his bicep was flexed. “Yep. That’s what I meant.” Luka felt a sudden flush as she ran her hand up his arm and onto his shoulders. “You’ve got a lot more muscle than the guys in my class—except Kim but he’s a special case—and your shoulders are broader.”

“Um...thanks?” Luka cleared his throat.

Marinette jumped back. “Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just thinking out loud.”

“It’s fine,” he said, though he knew he was blushing, and he couldn’t quite keep from smirking just a little bit. “Go ahead.”

Luka stood patiently while she measured what felt like every inch of him. 

“Sorry,” she said, writing numbers down. “I just don’t want to have to make you come back, so I’m trying to get everything I think I possibly could need. Once I’ve gotten a little further in the designs, I can bring fabric samples over to the Liberty for you guys to look at.”

“I appreciate that, Marinette, but these are your designs, you don’t need our approval.” 

“I know, but I want you guys to be comfortable with the clothes, especially Juleka now that I know she’s so nervous. And the best part of designing is seeing how excited people are to wear the finished product. I really want you guys to be thrilled.”

Luka smiled at her enthusiasm. “I have confidence in you, Marinette.”

She flashed him a soft smile that made his heart flutter. “You always have, Luka. I appreciate it.” She straightened up and put her pencil down. “I think that’s everything I need.” Marinette bit her lip, and looked a bit...shy? That was new. “Um...do you have to go right away? We could hang out for a bit if you’re free...do you play video games?”

“Not really,” he admitted, with a shrug, and then added quickly as her face fell, “I’m always up for trying something new though.”

The way she lit up at that was not good for his heart. “Well, I’ll go easy on you since you’re a beginner.”

Luka chuckled. “Teach me your ways, master.”

Even ‘going easy,’ she destroyed him. His quick fingers and excellent hand-eye coordination were his only chance for redemption. At the same time, he’d never enjoyed losing more. Competitive Marinette was a side she’d never shown him before and Luka was hard pressed to pay attention to the game, distracted as he was by her wide smile and sparkling eyes. After she’d pounded him a few times, she had mercy on him and switched modes so that they battled together against online opponents. He was still pretty useless but she didn’t seem to need him to win anyway, and playing cooperatively gave her more opportunity to coach him. By the time he had to leave, he could at least survive through the fight while Marinette took their opponents apart. That was good enough for him; the game was okay but he mostly just enjoyed watching her have fun. This was clearly one of her passions and he loved watching her be so gung-ho over it.

“You’re amazing,” he sighed finally, putting down the controller. “I think I’d have to practice a long time to get good enough to even come close to beating you.” 

“Oh, I didn’t—you did really well for your first time!” She hastened to reassure him. He laughed at her round eyes and panicked expression.

“Relax, Marinette, I don’t mind. Even losing to you is fun. You’re cute when you win.” He winked at her and she blushed, but recovered quickly.

“You’re right, I am amazing,” Marinette said airily, and then giggled. “At least at video games. My classmate Max and I played in the interschool tournament and we tore the competition apart.” She looked down at the controller and sighed, putting it down on the coffee table. “I actually haven’t taken much time to play lately, I’ve been so busy. Another reason to make some changes.”

Luka put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. “I don’t know what happened and I wish you weren’t so sad about whatever it was, but it sounds like you’ve got a good handle on what you need to do, so I know you’ll be fine. Thanks for teaching me, Marinette. I had fun.” 

“Me too,” she smiled at him. “Thanks, Luka, your support means a lot to me. And,” she blushed a little, “Thanks for hanging out with me.”

“I love spending time with you,” Luka said, letting go of her shoulder and getting to his feet. “I do need to get home now though. I’ll go grab my stuff.” He went up the stairs to her room, giving her time to recover from her spluttering. Luka sensed that she felt lonely and unappreciated lately, and he didn’t want to pass up a chance to let her know how much _ he _ appreciated her, or how happy he was to spend time with her.

Luka put his jackets back on, zipped up the open guitar case, and lifted the strap over his head. He stopped by the desk, looking down at the snake image, and smiled to himself before going back down the stairs.

Marinette walked him out through the bakery, where her mother pressed a small box of sweets into his hands. “Be safe getting home, Luka,” Marinette told him at the door.

“See you soon, Marinette.” He smiled at her, squeezing her shoulder once more before walking away.

As he walked he thought about what Marinette had said to him. Luka was glad she was taking some time and space to take care of herself, but he couldn’t help wondering what brought on the change. Marinette seemed so down about it...He hoped she felt better about it soon, because the changes she was making seemed good for her. So far, he certainly liked what he was seeing. It was great to see her investing in her art. Just spending time with Marinette was enough for him, but getting to be involved in something she loved so much made it that much better.

Luka sighed, adjusting the guitar case and smiling at himself. He’d long ago accepted that he was hopelessly deep in a hopeless love when it came to Marinette. He knew Juleka thought he was an idiot, but he really just didn’t mind it. 

Loving her made him happy.


	2. A Different Sound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the comments on the last chapter! I'm glad people are excited for the story (although if you haven't figured it out by now, my work is like 90% fluff and 10% plot, so uh...just putting that out there). 
> 
> Some spoilers for "Desperada" in this chapter.

The next time he saw her was when she came down to the boat with fabric samples.

“Oh, what’s this?” Marinette leaned down to look at the squat wooden instrument sitting against the wall between the bed and the amp. “Is it a harp?”

“It’s a clarsach, a type of Celtic harp,” Luka told her, picking it up. He sat down on the bed with it in front of him. “I found it in the case in one of mom’s piles of stuff and I thought I’d dust it off and try it out. It was my grandfather’s. I can’t play it very well yet though.” He played a brief glissando. 

“It’s pretty,” Marinette said, and Luka had to hide a secretive smile of his own while he pretended not to see hers. 

“Definitely a different sound, but I like it.” He plucked a few bars of Scarborough Fair. “It’s soothing. And it’s nice to try something new, I haven’t tried out a new instrument in a while.” He picked it up and set it carefully back out of the way. “But you didn’t come to hear me plink on this thing, so, what’s up.”

“Oh! Right, I wanted to show you a few things. I talked to Juleka some at school, but I wanted to get your opinion too.” She pulled several small pieces of fabric out of her bag. “I got a blue that I’m really happy with, and a nice black...I couldn’t afford the one I really wanted, but this one is still good, and then—” Marinette hesitated before pulling out a piece of shiny fabric that was a bright orangey red.

Luka’s eyebrows rose and he fought to keep his expression neutral. “Wow. That’s...um...bold.” He didn’t mind bold colors, really, but...it was a lot.

“I know, but look,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to Juleka’s mirror, nearly shoving him down in the chair. She draped the red-orange fabric over his shoulder and then layered a blue piece on top of it, and a black piece on top of that. “See how it pops? As long as I don’t use too much of it, I think it could really make the design.” 

Luka studied the effect. He wouldn’t want to be wrapped in the stuff, but paired with the other colors it did look good. He smiled. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. I have faith in you.”

“Great!” squealed Marinette. “I’m working on some embroidery designs also—” She whisked the fabrics away and dug in her bag for her sketchbook, which she put into his hands as he came back over. There were several designs on the page, all combinations of the snake she’d shown him before and her own signature flowers. 

“Wow, Marinette,” he breathed. “This is amazing, but it looks like a lot of work.”

That set her off about appliques and embroidery machines and a whole lot of other things he didn’t really understand. “Okay, I have no idea what you just said,” he laughed when she stopped for breath. “But I trust you. Just don’t burn yourself out, you know?” 

“Do the flowers make it too feminine?” she asked him.

“I don’t think so, not the way you’ve used them. I don’t mind wearing your flowers, if that’s what you’re asking.”

She flashed a smile at him, and then seemed to get nervous all of a sudden. He set the sketchbook aside and waited.

“You still have your Jagged poster up,” she said finally.

“Yeah,” Luka sighed, looking at it. “I feel weird about it, honestly, but I’m...not sure what to do with those feelings? Finding out him and my mom have a history, it’s just weird, you know? I mean you read all these articles about how eccentric and demanding he is, but it doesn’t hit home the same way as ‘he ditched my mom without notice to go on tour in America.’” He tapped his knee for a moment, trying to find the words. “I talked to Maman about it, afterwards. She told me the whole story. She still had a copy of their old album, I’ve been listening to it. It was great, actually. So I guess I’m just...there’s the artist I’ve always admired, and the jerk who dropped my mom, back before she was my mom, and I...I don’t quite know how to put the two together.”

“That’s understandable,” Marinette nodded. “Well, I—” She paused, and pursed her lips. “Okay, if you say no I’ll totally, completely, one hundred percent understand.”

“You have to actually ask me something before I can say no,” he prodded gently.

“Well, you know Jagged’s receiving that lifetime achievement award and they’re having a big gala at the Grand Paris, and—well I sort of got an invitation. And I wanted to know if maybe you’d come with me. As my—as my plus one.” She looked down at the fabric in her hands, rearranging the swatches absently. “I thought it would be fun if you came with me since you’re a fan, and there will probably be a lot of people from the music industry there and I don’t know anything about music but you do and— But again, I totally understand if you don’t want to, I mean it makes total sense that you might not want to hear about Jagged Stone at all right now and if it would make you feel even a tiny bit weird you can totally say no and I’ll understand and—”

“Air, Marinette,” he said, grabbing her shoulder. He waited until she’d taken a couple of deep breaths. “I’d love to go with you. Jagged Stone aside, it sounds like a good time, especially if I’m going with you.”

Marinette beamed up at him, and then looked hesitant again. “Um, if you like the suit, when it’s finished - how would you feel about wearing it? If you’d rather get something yourself—”

“I would love to wear the suit, Marinette,” he cut her off. “Stop worrying so much. I may not be into fashion but even I can figure out that it would be good exposure for you to show off your clothes at an event like that. I’m totally in, one hundred percent. Anything you want. I’d wear it even if I hated it.” He nudged her. “I’m sure I won’t, though. I’ve loved everything you’ve done so far. That I’ve seen, anyway. In fact…” Luka picked up the sketchbook again, butterflies suddenly, inexplicably invading his stomach. “Let me run something by you.” 

Marinette blinked. “Okay.”

“I’ve been thinking about refinishing my guitar,” he told her, turning pages until he found the design he wanted. “It’s gotten kind of knocked around lately, and it took a bit of a beating during that whole Desperada business.” He pretended not to see her wince. “Ladybug fixed the worst of it but it’s still all scratched up. So, since I need to take it apart and strip it anyway...how would you feel about doing a little artwork on it for me?” He glanced up at her.

Marinette blinked again. “Me?”

“You.” Luka smiled. He pointed to one of the snake designs in the sketchbook. “I love this. If I let you know when it’s ready, do you think you could paint this for me?”

Marinette paled. “You want me to paint your guitar.”

He couldn’t help a chuckle at her expression. “Yep.”

“Your guitar, Luka.”

“Yes. Right here.” He traced a line up the side, following the curve. Luka could already see it in his mind.

“Luka, I can’t—what if I mess up?” Marinette exclaimed, and he had to catch her wrist to keep her from jumping to her feet.

“Then I’ll strip it again and start over. Wouldn’t be the first time. Marinette, I trust you, and I’d love to have your art on my guitar. But if you’re really not comfortable with it, I understand.”

Marinette sat silent for a moment. “You’re sure I won’t ruin it? Won’t painting it change the sound?”

“Not unless you pile it on super thick. I’ll show you the right paint to use. It should be fine. And, again, worst comes to worst, I just restrip it and refinish it again.” Not to mention that his mother still had every guitar she’d ever owned strewn haphazardly around the boat, though it would hurt to give this one up.

Marinette took a slightly shaky breath. “Well, if you really want me to, I guess I’m willing to try.”

Luka grinned, catching her hand and squeezing it. “Awesome. I can’t wait. Sorry for getting us off track. Did you need to talk about anything else?”

“That was all I needed to show you. For today, at least.” Marinette folded the swatches and put them back in the bag. “Hopefully next time I’ll have some actual clothes to show you.”

He didn’t want her to go. Luka fidgeted with his bracelets as he walked her back up to the deck, remembering how she had invited him to stay for Mecha Strike last time. “Do you need to go now?”

“No, I’ve got some time,” Marinette said, looking up at him in surprise. “What’s up?”

Luka grinned and walked over to dig behind one of the cases on the deck. He came up with a basketball and tossed it to Marinette. She caught it, barely, dropping her bag of fabric in the process. “I was thinking maybe it’s my turn to take you to school.” Luka gestured toward the bow. “Fair’s fair, right?”

She gave him a desperate look as she trailed after him. “Luka, I’m hopeless with sports on land! If I try to play on a boat one or both of us is going to end up in the hospital.”

Luka actually hesitated a brief second, because it wasn’t impossible, but then he shrugged. “It is a little different, but I won’t let you get hurt, I promise. Surely you’ve been here enough to get your sea legs by now.”

“Do you play a lot?” Marinette asked, bouncing the ball experimentally against the deck boards as he dragged chairs and the table and various other bits of flotsam out of the way.

“Honestly, not really. Too easy to get injured and I kind of need these intact,” he held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. “I play one on one sometimes with Juleka, or my friends when they’re here, but mostly I just like to come up and shoot hoops when I’m stuck on something or the music isn’t flowing. Or to avoid homework.” He shrugged and grinned, nodding toward the hoop over their heads. “So, you want to take a shot?”

He let her take a few passes at the goal unhindered to get used to playing with the gentle motion of the boat. Fortunately, it was a calm day, the river as easy as it ever got. When she seemed steady enough, he stepped up to face her.

“This is totally unfair,” Marinette groused, dribbling as Luka loomed in front of her.

“What, you want me to play on my knees?” he teased, and laughed at the way she pouted. 

The next thing he knew she had ducked under his arm and past him. She tripped as she shot, but as he leapt to catch her he heard the swish behind him. Luka hauled her up before she could hit the deck and she slumped against him. “Not bad,” he told her. 

“Yeah, super,” she grumbled as he set her on her feet. “One goal for one faceplant, sounds like fun.”

“Except you didn’t,” he chuckled. “I told you I wouldn’t let you get hurt.”

She smiled up at him from the circle of his arms and he let her go quickly. “My turn,” he grinned, retrieving the ball. He bit his lip to keep from laughing as she tried to block him and he lobbed the ball easily over her head and into the basket.

“Ooh,” she pouted again, and he was torn between laughter and the urge to kiss those pouting lips. She was just so damn  _ cute _ .

However, he found out quickly that Marinette was competitive, and ruthless enough to take advantage of his care of her, more than once faking a fall to get past him. Luka fell for it every time with good nature, and kept his promise, rescuing her from both the deck and the ball multiple times, except for one instance where she threw herself in front of the ball to keep it from going overboard.

“You didn’t need to do that,” Luka scolded, turning her face so he could see the red mark across her cheekbone. “It wouldn’t have been the first ball I lost to the Seine.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve taken a basketball to the face either,” Marinette shrugged. 

“You play dirty, you know that right?”

“It’s not my fault you’re a gentleman.”

“What would you have done if I wasn’t? Maybe I’m really just a caveman on the inside.” Moving quickly, he caught her wrist and ducked, dragging her over his shoulders into a fireman’s carry. “Now what are you going to do, hmm?”

“ _ Luka Couffaine _ ! You put me down right now!” Marinette kicked her feet, but she was laughing too hard to get any leverage.

“Make me,” he laughed back. A squeal behind him made him turn towards the gangplank. Rose was hanging off of Juleka’s arm, shaking her slightly and whispering in her ear. Juleka’s expression was blank.

“Oh, hey Juleka.” Luka tried to act casual, as if he didn’t have his sister’s most adorable friend slung across his shoulders. “Hey, have you seen Marinette, she was going to stop by today but—”

“Luka!” Marinette screeched, and he winced.

“Okay, okay, don’t deafen me,” Luka laughed, setting her down. Her face was red as a cherry, either from embarrassment or from hanging off of him, and he held onto her arms to steady her. “You’re all right? I didn’t hurt you did I?”

“I’m fine,” she smiled, and then socked him in the arm. “You jerk.”

“Ow! You deserved it, you little cheater.” He shoved her gently. 

“Taking advantage of your weaknesses is  _ not _ cheating.”

Juleka was smirking, which he could have handled, but Rose was looking at them with hearts in her eyes, hands folded together in front of her. Luka blushed hotly and cleared his throat. “You girls up for a little two on two?” he asked, just for something to say.

Juleka snorted. “Yeah, no thanks. I like all my limbs intact and between Marinette and Rose—”

“Hey!” Rose pouted.

“I should probably go soon anyway,” Marinette said, checking the time on her phone. “I didn’t realize how late it was, I’m supposed to be home for dinner. Thanks Luka, I had a lot of fun. I’ll check in with you both about the fitting when I’m a little farther along.”

Luka retrieved her bag and gave her his hand up the gangplank. He leaned against the rail, watching her go.

“You are so transparent I can see Notre Dame through you right now.” Juleka muttered at his elbow. 

“Oh, Luka, you’re so in love!” cooed Rose, hugging his arm on his other side. “I’m sure things will work out somehow.”

“Thanks Rose.” He freed his arm and patted her head. “I’ll be okay either way. Don’t worry about me. I’m going back below, you girls have fun.” He squeezed Juleka’s shoulder as he went by, and heard her sigh.

“You shouldn’t encourage him,” she mumbled to Rose just before he was out of earshot.

She was right, but even Juleka’s pessimism couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. It was a good day. He was just going to leave it at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The episode "Ladybug" takes place between this chapter and the next one, so enjoy the lightheartedness while it lasts, there will be a bit of angst next time. I hope I'll be able to keep the chapters coming in pretty regularly, but somehow whenever I have 80% of a fic written, the last 20% is always right smack in the middle.


	3. Falling Flat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter happens right after the episode "Ladybug."

Luka was worried when he texted Marinette.  _ You still want me to come by today? Juleka said you had a rough couple of days. _

Her reply didn’t make him feel any better.  _ I did, and I need to not think about it, so I might as well get something productive done.  _ And then a slightly less worrying,  _ Please come. _

Luka grilled Juleka, but the story only seemed more confused the more questions he asked. He’d been shocked when Juleka told him Marinette had been expelled—less so when Juleka said she was back at school and whatever weird accusations had been made against her dropped. Somehow, he didn’t think Marinette was as over it as Juleka made it seem. 

So when he got to the bakery that afternoon, he came up the hatch into Marinette’s room cautiously. “Marinette?”

“I’m over here,” came the flat reply. He found her on her knees next to her mannequin, pinning the hem of what looked like a party dress.

“Hey,” he said, crouching beside her. “We don’t have to do this today if you don’t want to. Juleka told me what happened.”

Marinette snorted. “I’ll bet she did.”

Luka rocked back on his heels slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” she replied, the flat tone back. “She told you it was all a big misunderstanding, right?”

“Yeah,” Luka scratched his head. “The story didn’t make all that much sense, actually, but I just figured it was because I wasn’t there.”

“It didn’t make sense to me and I was there,” Marinette grumbled. 

“Marinette,” Luka put his hand on her shoulder. “Take a break and come tell me from the beginning. If you want to?”

“What’s the point? No one believes me.”

“Do you think I won’t believe you?” The silence that answered him hurt. “Marinette, you couldn’t lie to me if your life depended on it.”

That finally got her to look at him. Luka gazed back steadily. “I mean it, Marinette. I’m hard to lie to and I’ve never met anyone as sincere as you. Your lies are terrible.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’d be surprised,” she said dryly, and he looked away and coughed to hide the temptation to laugh. 

“No, I really wouldn’t,” he muttered as he got to his feet. “Okay, if you don’t want to talk—”

“No, wait,” Marinette sighed, standing up and pulling her pincushion off her wrist. “I’m sorry, Luka, you didn’t deserve that. I shouldn’t take out my frustration on you. I don’t really want to talk about what happened, though.” She went to her desk where a blue shirt trimmed in red was laid out. “Come on over and put this on. Please,” she added belatedly.

Luka complied, watching her as he shed his jacket and shirt. Her brow was creased and her mouth firm, and she looked like her mind was a million miles away. As soon as his torso was bare she went to work mechanically, not even blushing as she helped slide the pinned fabric carefully over his bare shoulders. Despite her distraction, she was careful to keep the pins away from his skin. He watched her in the mirror as she worked, focused and efficient but without any of her usual bubbling enthusiasm. It hurt to see her like this, and he didn’t know how to fix it. He wanted to hold her and beg her to let out whatever was hurting her, but he didn’t dare, and he didn’t have any right. If she didn’t want his comfort, he had to respect that, even if it was breaking his heart to see her so...lifeless.

She brought him a second shirt and then a denim jacket, and still said nothing other than giving him basic instructions. Luka barely saw the garments and moved mechanically when she asked him to. Finally, when she finished and he got dressed again, he decided on one last-ditch effort, an offering of himself in the hopes she might return one of her own. She might not, but he had to try.

Honestly, he’d been wanting to have this conversation for a long time and there just hadn’t seemed to be a right moment...or he hadn’t had the courage. But it was maybe a way to get her to talk without pushing her boundaries too hard. “Before I go,” Luka said slowly, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you about. I know you’ll be honest with me and there’s not really anyone else I can talk to about this.”

That got her attention as nothing else had, as he’d hoped it would, and for the first time that day Marinette looked at him as if she really saw him. “Of course.”

“At the TV studio that day…” He saw Marinette pale slightly and hurried on. “You were there when I…” He paused and swallowed, trying to find the right words. “I don’t...I don’t remember anything and maybe I should be relieved about that, but honestly it just makes it worse, and there’s no one else who can tell me what I did.”

Her expression cleared and then set, her mouth a firm line and her chin stubborn. “Luka,” Marinette said, sternly. “That wasn’t you.”

Luka shook his head. “It was me, though. I was so angry and I felt so powerless at the same time, and then that jerk threatened you, and that look on your face—” That look haunted his dreams. He couldn’t remember what else he had done that day, but he remembered with perfect clarity that moment when her strong front had crumbled and she had looked scared and vulnerable. “I was...” He sat down on her chaise, propped his elbows on his knees and dropped his head to run his hands through his hair, tugging lightly like he could open his brain and get that image out. “I think I would’ve done anything in that moment if it meant getting him away from you. It all gets confused after that but knowing how I felt in that moment, I’m sure I didn’t even hesitate.”

When he peeked up at her silence, compassion on her face hurt, but it was miles better than the sullen blankness that she’d been projecting before. “Luka, do you have any idea how many akumas I’ve seen created for selfish, petty reasons? Just the fact that it took that much provocation to get you in a place where Hawkmoth could use you is—is amazing.”

Luka straightened his back, but his eyes went back to the floor. Marinette grabbed his hands, sitting down next to him. “Luka, what is it? Just tell me.“

“Were you scared?” he asked softly, his gaze going to her small hands around his. “Did I scare you that day?”

She blinked for a moment, processing the quiet question. “Yes. And no. I was terrified,” Marinette said, squeezing his hands. “But I was scared for you, not of you.” She let go of one hand to lay her hand on his cheek and force him to face her. “You said I was safe.” Luka’s eyes snapped to hers in surprise, and she nodded. “It was the first thing Silencer said. ‘You’re safe, Marinette. I won’t hurt you.’”

He sucked in a deep breath, heart pounding as she continued, taking both his hands in hers again. “You said you would never let  _ anyone _ cause me harm. Maybe you’re right, there was some of you left in Silencer, because you promised to protect me. Just like you protected me from Captain Hard Rock the first day we met, just like you protect Juleka and Rose all the time. Hawkmoth couldn’t change that, he just twisted your frustration and your desire for justice into a need for vengeance. But Silencer never touched me, never threatened me, and he—you, however you want to think of it—made sure I was okay before you went after Bob Roth. I’ve never been afraid of you, Luka. So, even if you insist on believing that was somehow your fault, you were also responsible for the good in Silencer.”

She bit her lip for a moment, hesitating, and then went on. “Ladybug told me once that the butterfly miraculous was meant to create champions for the greater good. Silencer was probably one of the few Akumas who came close to that ideal. I know that came from you, because you always protect the people you—” She stopped and blushed hotly. 

“The people I love?” he finished softly, gaze still fixed on her. “Yeah.” His shoulders slowly relaxed. “I would, you know. Protect you.” Luka hesitated, but this was the opening he’d been hoping for and he didn’t want to waste it. “Marinette, if someone’s been hurting you, if there’s anything I can do, even if you just need somebody to listen or take your mind off things, or just—even if I can just take you out and show you a good time, make you feel special...“ He made a frustrated sound. “I’m not saying this right, or maybe I’m just not the right person to offer because we both know I—but you seemed like you were doing better, finding your pitch, and now it’s like you’re falling flat again, and I—I want to help, however I can. Not just because I have feelings for you, but because you’re my friend and I care about you.”

“You do,” Marinette told him earnestly. “You do help me, Luka, so much. Even just being someone I can talk to who has some distance helps, you know? You’re not mixed up in all the classroom drama. And you...you always make me feel special, Luka.” She blushed again. 

“Can I hold you for a minute? I think we both could use a hug.”

The way she lunged into his arms, burrowed her face into his chest, the thrum in her song that said she felt safe with him, made everything worth it. He enfolded her in his arms, curling around her, trying to be the shield, the safe place she needed.

“It feels like no one has any faith in me anymore,” she mumbled against his collarbone. “I don’t think even my parents really believed me this time. Sometimes I think you’re the only one left on my side and that it’s only because  _ she _ hasn’t gotten to you yet.” She took a shaky breath. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s that I trusted them too but they still believe her lies. I just don’t understand it at all. She said that she just tells people what they want to hear, and apparently that’s enough.”

“Well,” he said slowly, “Like I said...I’m pretty hard to lie to.”

This time her tremble was a chuckle. “I guess you would be.”

“I don’t hear everyone’s heart as easily as yours,” he murmured. “But I can usually tell. And if it came down to a question of believing you or someone else...” He chuckled. “I believe in you regardless, but I’ll say it again, you couldn’t lie to me if your life depended on it.”

Marinette snorted. “I feel like I should be offended.”

“Don’t be. I wouldn’t change that about you for the world, even to take all your pain away. You wouldn’t be Marinette anymore. And I...I really like Marinette.” He hesitated and added softly, “You’re still in my head every day.”

“How can you still say things like that to me, after all I’ve put you through?” she sighed. “Even just now, you just wanted to help and I was so cold to you.”

Luka took a moment to consider before he answered her. 

“A lot of people think the person they love is perfect,” he began. “And—well, I’m not going to say that’s not real love, because I’m seventeen and what do I know? There’s all kinds of love and it looks different for different people. But it’s not how I was taught to love. My mom is straight-up crazy and I love her to death. Juleka sometimes makes me want to tear my hair out and I still love her more than anything in the world.” He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. “You’re not perfect, Marinette, and I know that. I accept that and it doesn’t change my feelings one bit. Your flaws are part of who you are, and they’re...they’re good flaws, if that makes any kind of sense. Because they come from a good place. When you fail, most of the time it’s because you acted on your feelings without thinking things through. You cared too much, or got too excited, or loved too hard, and that’s beautiful in itself. You’re not perfect, but if the price of a perfect Marinette is a Marinette who doesn’t care as much and doesn’t get so excited and loves cautiously, forget it. I don’t want that for you.” He started to put his hand on her shoulder, and then hesitated and took her hand instead. “So please believe me when I say all that stuff you keep worrying about? Totally forgiven. Let’s just move on, okay? I trust you when you say you’re trying to do better, and I believe you can do it. And I hope that when I hurt you, you’ll do the same for me.”

“You’ve never hurt me,” she snorted lightly, turning her head to lay her cheek against him instead of hiding in his shirt. 

Luka raised his eyebrows and leaned back slightly to look down at her. “Marinette, literally the first thing I ever said to you, hurt you.”

“Oh,” she said, blinking. “I’d forgotten about that.”

He chuckled. “You would.” Luka lifted his hand and brushed it along her cheek. “Are you feeling a little better now?”

“Some. This is nice,” she sighed. “Can you stay a little longer?”

“I was hoping you’d ask.”

She took a deep, unsteady breath. He could feel the tension in her and he guessed what was coming.

“Luka, about what you said, about your feelings, I…” She faltered and swallowed. “I um..” 

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “Don’t worry about that right now. I wanted to say it, I want you to know that you’re special and important, and...well, it feels dishonest to me, if I’m trying to be there for you and holding you like this and you don’t know how I feel. I don’t want any misunderstandings between us. I’d never want to make you uncomfortable.”

“It doesn’t seem fair to you though…”

“You need someone and I’m happy it can be me. I trust you to be careful with me and I won’t try to make anything we have into more than you mean it to be.” 

“But—“

“No, wait, let me finish. What I  _ don’t _ want is for you to do anything because you think you owe it to me.  _ That _ would hurt. You don’t owe me anything. Not a date, not a kiss, not even being here like this. If a friend is all I ever get to be, then that’s fine. I like spending time with you, I like being your friend, and I just want to be a good one. My feelings are mine to deal with, not yours. Okay?”

“I don’t know how you can be satisfied with that.”

Luka smiled, remembering her encouraging Adrien at the ice rink. “Yes, you do. That’s what friends are for, right?”

He knew she got it when she groaned and buried her face in his shirt again. He huffed a laugh through his nose. “So, movie or Mecha Strike?”

At that she sat straight up and the determined look on her face, coupled with the teary eyes and red cheeks, almost stopped his heart, because it felt like Marinette was back from whatever dark place she’d gone to. “I say we go downstairs and challenge my parents to a Mecha Strike war. It might be the closest I get to payback for the last few days.” Before he could even answer, she leapt to her feet and was halfway down the stairs, screaming “Papa! Maman! Get ready, because you’re going down!” at the top of her lungs.

“Good to have you back,” he chuckled to the empty room, and got to his feet to follow her.

Her vengeance wasn’t as thorough as maybe she would have preferred, because Sabine and Tom were both better players than him, but Marinette was on fire and Luka managed to at least hold his own well enough to keep them from totally ganging up on Marinette. And when it was over there were hugs and maybe a few hidden tears wiped away, and he heard music in his mind as he watched, even as he felt like he was intruding. But Marinette turned and beamed at him and the song swelled to include him as Tom’s hand fell on his shoulder and Sabine complimented his efforts. 

As he wandered toward home that night, carrying that warmth in his heart and once again smiling like an idiot, Luka wondered if he was really just a coward at heart; if he kept giving her an out, not because he didn’t want her to feel pressured, but because he didn’t want to hear what she would say if he backed her into a corner.

At the same time, it wasn’t as if he didn’t already know. Would it be any worse hearing it from her mouth than her eyes? 

He sighed and rubbed his face with both hands. He always felt like he walked a fine line with Marinette, between being a friend who could keep his more than friendly feelings under control, and being the creep who supported a girl while secretly hoping she would someday see how much better he was for her.

Only Luka wasn’t better. In every objective way, Adrien Agreste was a much better choice for Marinette. Rich, well-connected, traditional, and on top of all that, Adrien was a good guy that would treat her well, and Marinette would be good for him. On paper, they were perfect. If Adrien fell for Marinette, Luka would be happy for them even in the midst of his own pain because Adrien would make her happy.

Except that Luka loved her, and Adrien...well Luka really wasn’t sure, honestly. Adrien hid his feelings under about sixty layers of denial, which made him harder to read than someone like Marinette, who was almost painfully honest. If Luka had to put a label on it, he’d say Adrien’s heart was divided over something, and Adrien chose to deal with it by not dealing with it at all, and remaining willfully blind to anyone else’s feelings. 

Which, really, maybe meant Luka wasn’t the coward here.

He shook those thoughts free, and contemplated instead the song he wanted to play when he got home, the song that was family and love and forgiveness and the mending of broken things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to space the chapters out a bit more, but I thought, why not just take advantage of the creative burst when it comes? Chapters 4 & 5 (and possibly 6 if I end up splitting 4 in two) will take a bit longer.


	4. Getting Close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original chapter 4 got waaaaay bigger than I intended, so I'm splitting it in two. 
> 
> Your comments are life, thank you thank you everyone that's been leaving encouragement. It really, really helps!

Luka gave Marinette a few days of space, and then showed up outside of the school and took Juleka, Rose, and Marinette out for ice cream after classes one day. The girls were a little stiff with one another at first, but Luka teased them enough that they all ganged up on him for revenge, and it was worth the ice cream smeared on his face to see them all relaxed with each other again. Marinette’s horrified reaction when he showed her the picture of his disassembled guitar had him cackling every time he thought of it for the rest of the day. 

“How can you laugh? It’s your guitar, it’s in pieces!” she cried.

“Because I know it’ll come together again,” he said, chuckling. “And it’ll sound even better than before.”

“Ignore him,” Juleka muttered, looping her arm through Marinette’s and tossing her hair. “He likes to make people think he’s deep and cool but he’s really totally lame.” 

“He’s a sweetheart,” Marinette said with a fondness that made his heart skip. “But yeah, he is pretty silly sometimes,” she teased, looking back over their shoulders at him. 

He must have been giving her some kind of soft look, because she turned back quickly with reddening cheeks. Rose giggled, nudging Luka with her elbow before jogging up to grab Juleka’s free hand. He felt a comforting warmth in his stomach as he looked at the three of them. He’d had a gentle talk with Juleka, nothing invasive or confrontational, just warning her that Marinette felt alone and ignored right now, and reminding her how Marinette had stood by her when Juleka felt that way—reminded her also that Marinette was planning this whole design and photoshoot to make up for something that hadn’t been her fault in the first place. Luka still didn’t know the details of what had happened at the school, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t want to pry or interfere in Juleka’s life. He just hoped that if Juleka refocused on the truth of who her friend was, on Marinette’s heart, then whatever other craziness was going on would roll past them.

Despite the ice cream outing, it felt like he hadn’t seen her in forever when she finally called him back for a fitting.

“You know,” Luka called over the screen as he pulled his jeans back on, “I could just come over when Juleka does, it’s not that hard for us to coordinate.”

“No, I don’t want you to see each other until the shoot!” Marinette called back.

Luka rolled his eyes, though she couldn’t see him. “Why? I’m her brother, not her date.”

“I know, but it matters to Juleka what you think, and she’ll be able to tell if you like it or not. It’ll give her a confidence boost right before the photo shoot.”

“That’s admirable, Marinette,” Luka sighed as he came around the partition, “But its not worth burning yourself out over. You have so many responsibilities as it is.”

“I’m not,” Marinette protested. “I mean, yes, I do have a lot of responsibilities—more all the time, it seems like—but that’s not the same as this. This is me doing something I love for people I care about. It’s not draining, it’s energizing! Really, if you both came at the same time then one of you would just be standing around waiting half the time anyway. It’s more fun like this.” She carefully laid the pants she had just finished marking and pinning on the desk, and then turned back to him. “Okay, that’s all I needed for my stuff. Let’s go upstairs and I’ll see if I can finish yours before you leave.”

The body of Luka’s guitar, stripped and sanded and lacquered with a base coat of black, with the space for the pick guard carefully taped off, was securely strapped to an easel on Marinette’s balcony, since she had (reasonably) refused to paint on the swaying deck of the Liberty, and the smell of the paint would have been overwhelming in her small room. She wouldn’t let him see the work in progress, but he was happy to park himself in a lounge chair and play his mother’s guitar while Marinette worked on his. She’d had it for a few days now and it was almost finished. 

Luka had to admit, watching Marinette work was one of his favorite things ever. Not only was her concentrating face super cute, she became so focused that she forgot the self-consciousness that was the root of most of her awkwardness. Despite all her initial protestations and “are you really  _ really _ sure you want me to do this,” now that she was into the task, she was confident, capable, and captivating. It made him wonder about the woman she would grow into one day, once she left the drama and awkwardness of her teenage years behind. 

Without his realizing it, the tune he played slid into something warm and low and a little wanting. Thankfully she was too engrossed in her work to realize how closely he watched her, and he caught himself before anyone else did. Face heating, Luka set the guitar aside and stood up. 

The absence of the music made Marinette look up. “Just need to move for a minute,” he told her, stretching his back and then his fingers. “How’s it going?”

“Almost done I think,” Marinette said, surveying her work thoughtfully. “Just a few more details to go. I don’t want to overdo it.” She waved him off when he tried to get a look. “None of that, it’s so close now you might as well wait. I hope you like it,” she fretted, a little uncertainty returning. “Maybe we should have done a kittycorn design instead…”

“Marinette, I love Kitty Section, but this is for me, not for the band, and the design is perfect. I know I’m going to love it. Do you need anything? I could go get us something to drink.” As he moved around her toward the hatch, he paused and frowned, stepping back closer to her. “The back of your neck is turning red.”

“Oh, I should have thought of that,” Marinette groaned, reaching back with paint smeared fingers. Luka caught her wrist. “Don’t, you’ll get paint in your hair. Hang on, I always have some sunscreen.” He went to his guitar case and pulled out a battered tube tucked into an outer pocket. “With the sun on the water I’m pretty much always covered with the stuff.”

“ _ That’s _ why you always smell like the beach,” Marinette muttered, studying her work.

“Well, I do live on the river.”

Marinette snorted. “We both know the Seine doesn’t smell anything like a beach.”

Luka chuckled. “Fair point. Do you mind if I put this on you?”

Marinette blushed, but didn’t have much of a choice since her own hands were both flecked with paint. “Please.”

“Sorry, my hands are kind of rough,” he muttered as he dabbed the cream carefully along the back of her neck between her pigtails. “Does it hurt?”

“No, I didn’t even notice.”

“Good, hopefully we got it before it got bad enough to cause you a problem.” He couldn’t resist leaning around her slightly and adding, “Should I do your face too? You look a little pink.” 

“Now you’re teasing me,” she grumbled, turning a little pinker. “But you probably actually should.” She turned toward him and lifted her face. “Go ahead.” 

Luka smiled to himself a little ruefully when she called his bluff, but his hand was steady as he dabbed the sunscreen on her little nose and smoothed it over her cheeks with his thumb. The slow smile she gave him didn’t help his composure. “Now who’s pink?” she giggled, and he grinned back.

“You got me. You’re just too cute, Marinette.” Luka actually caught himself leaning in toward her and stepped back quickly. He really wanted to kiss her and the way she looked at him made him think maybe she wanted to kiss him too, which was not helping his self-control. Luka took a deep breath and turned away, settling back in the lounge chair and picking up Anarka’s guitar. He launched into the most complicated riff he could think of, as Marinette turned back to her painting. 

The charged moment ebbed away and they lapsed back into their comfortable camaraderie as Luka played, and Marinette painted. “Do you think you’ll finish today?” he asked, glancing at the sinking sun. “It’s fine if you need to keep it another day.”

“I’m done,” she announced. 

“You’re done? I can look?” Luka hopped to his feet, and Marinette stepped back and waved him toward the easel.

The blue striped snake with its red head and tail slithered up the side of the guitar, following the curves, against its background of white blossoms, the centers just tinged with pink. It fit the body of the guitar beautifully and the colors popped against the black. “I put a little more blue in the snake just so it wouldn’t blend too much with the black,” Marinette said thoughtfully as she wiped her hands. “I think it worked.”

Luka put his arms around Marinette and lifted her off the ground. She yelped and giggled. “I love it, Marinette, it’s amazing. You’re amazing.” He put her down and bent to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head and every nerve in his body lit up at once when he felt her soft lips under his, her fingers tangling in his shirt to keep him there. His hands moved on instinct while his brain was still locked up, flattening against her back to pull her closer. Luka’s eyes fluttered shut as they both shifted slightly, lips sliding across each other until they fit together perfectly. It only lasted a moment before Marinette gasped against his lips, and pulled away, clearly realizing what she’d done.

He stared at her, trying to put himself back together, and her eyes widened with horror and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Luka, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking—I mean, I wasn’t thinking, it’s just, you were so close and you’re really cute and I—I do really like you but I didn’t mean to—”

Luka held up a hand between them to stop her, but it was another moment before he felt composed enough to speak. “It’s okay, I understand. I wanted to kiss you too, so—the moment got away from us and that’s okay.” He took a deep breath, and tried to smile. “But let’s try not to let it happen too often, I don’t think my heart can take it.” 

“Right,” she whispered, fingers still over her lips. “Sorry, Luka.”

“Don’t be, I liked it. It was a good kiss.” He winked at her and she giggled.

“It was,” she agreed, and then sobered. “But I shouldn’t have done it while my feelings are so messed up, and I’m sorry for that.”

“Forgiven,” he said simply, and turned back to his guitar. “I can’t wait to get this home.” He nudged her arm. “Sign it for me?”

“But—”

“Please.”

“What if I sign the back?”

“Marinette, sign your art for me, please.”

Reluctantly she chose a detail brush, and, after studying the design for a moment, delicately painted a small  _ Marinette _ in the curve of a branch of blossoms.

“Now it’s perfect,” Luka grinned.

“What happens now?” Marinette asked. 

“I need to put a clear coat on it and it’ll need to cure for a bit, and then I can finally put it back together and play.” He grinned. “So when people ask where I got my sick custom paint job, what should I tell them?”

Marinette shoved him lightly. “That it was a one-time deal because you’re my friend. Clothes are one thing but I don’t think I could do this too often, too stressful.” She wrinkled her nose. “And smelly, even up here.”

“Well, if you ever need some extra cash, let me know and I’ll pass your name around. People would pay good money for something like this. I’m just as happy to have a one-of-a-kind, though.”

“Better hold off on the praise until you make sure it still sounds right,” Marinette fretted, and Luka squeezed her shoulder. 

“Don’t worry so much. I wouldn’t have let you touch it if I didn’t have complete confidence in you.”

Marinette gaped at him. “You said you could just refinish it again if it didn’t work out!”

“I did say that, and it’s technically true,” Luka laughed. “But I sure as hell don’t want to. It’s a lot of work.” 

Marinette pouted, and Luka had to physically turn away from the sight now that he knew what those lips felt like. 

She shouldn’t have kissed him, but in retrospect Luka blamed himself as much as her; he’d been hovering in her space lately, indulging in more physical contact than he probably should have. He’d always known she was attracted to him, and now, when she was in a headspace where she felt neglected and rejected, cozying up to her was just asking for pain. He could hardly fault her for giving into the impulse, he’d nearly done the same earlier. He was human, after all, hanging out with a cute girl that he really, really liked, and meditation could only do so much. Luka sighed and resolved reluctantly to keep a little more distance from now on, before he did something he ought to regret. 

Naturally, Juleka chose that day to pick at him when he got home. “So, been making any progress on all these Marinette dates you’ve been having?” she asked, and he winced.

“They haven’t been dates, and...I’m not sure. Something feels different, but...” Luka shook his head. “I don’t want to get my hopes up. I’m just trying to be a friend she can count on. Honestly I’m not even sure she’s up to dealing with a guy in her life right now.” 

Juleka snorted. “Don’t be stupid.”

“What?” Luka looked at her, and she tossed her bangs back to look at him. 

“Marinette needs people to love, she can’t help it. She’s at her best when she’s caring for other people,” Juleka said, turning her face forward again, “It has to be a two-way street though, and that hasn’t been happening lately, in a lot of her relationships.” She looked down, twisting her hands in her lap guiltily. “And with Adrien,” Juleka continued, “She’s just...wasting energy that she really, really needs for other things. And...I think she might be figuring that out now.”

“What do you mean?” Luka asked, frowning.

“I’m not saying she’s moved on,” Juleka said cautiously. “But I’m saying she might have figured out she needs to. This whole...finding herself quest that she’s on...I think that’s part of it. I think something happened that she doesn’t want to talk to the rest of us about.”

Luka wanted to ask why she thought so, but had a feeling she wouldn’t tell him. 

“How are you feeling about the things she wants you to wear for the photos?” he asked instead. 

Juleka smiled broadly. “They’re awesome.”

“So feeling a little better about this time?”

“There won’t be so many people this time,” Juleka said. “Marinette has the whole thing planned out ahead this time, and she walked me through what she wants to do. And…” She bit her lip. 

“And?” Luka prodded gently.

“And I...talked to Rose. About the panic attacks. So she knows what to do now.”

“That’s great, Jule.” Luka reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “I’m glad you decided to talk about that. I know that’s a big step.”

Juleka shrugged his hand off, blushing. “And you’ll be there, so it’ll be fine.”

“Love you too, sis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next two chapters are kind of long, but I've done a lot of work on them already, so hopefully I'll keep things rolling.


	5. M Major

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long, and all my efforts to make it shorter made it better and more interesting, but not actually shorter. So...get yourself a cup of (beverage of your choice) and settle in, I hope it's still fun even though it's long.
> 
> Also, my wardrobe consists mostly of stretchy pants and mom joke tshirts, so...cut me some slack on the fashion in this chapter. All I have learned from years of watching Project Runway is that anything is plausibly fashion if you sell it hard enough.

Luka had never cared about clothes much. Sure he had a style, but it wasn’t something he thought consciously about, it was just things he liked to wear. He was doing this modeling thing as a favor for Juleka, and to spend time with Marinette. The clothes, until today, had mostly been an afterthought. ** **  
** **

He wasn’t prepared for the wave of emotion that hit him once he was standing there, in clothes that Marinette designed and made with him in mind. ** **  
** **

This was why he loved her. This was what he’d seen that day, when she walked into his room wide-eyed and stammering. Something in his soul had recognized her, when he had given her a song and she had received it, not with blank confusion, plastic smiles, or guarded hostility, but with reverence and wonder and gratitude. Marinette took all the bits of himself that he gave, and cradled and treasured them, because she _ understood _ . Because she was the same. Because he was standing here wearing a song she wrote with color and cloth and the work of her hands and it was absolutely wrecking him. ** **  
** **

Juleka was right, he was hopeless. ** **  
** **

“Luka, is everything okay?” Marinette called, and he realized he’d been standing there too long.** **  
** **

He steadied his voice as best he could and called back, “Yeah, everything’s fine, I’m dressed. These clothes are amazing, Marinette.”** **  
** **

She got him. Marinette absolutely, one hundred percent got him, from the subdued base colors to the pops of brightness, to the way the snake motifs were simultaneously edgy and whimsical enough to be nonthreatening. The shirt fit closer than anything else he ever wore, but it was comfortable and not clingy. The jeans, subtly textured to mimic the lines of Viperion’s suit, felt like an inside joke between the two of them, made even funnier because she didn’t know that he knew she knew.** **  
** **

He took one more steadying breath and stepped out from behind the screen.** **  
** **

Marinette did an excited little wiggle. “Oh, you look so good, just like I imagined! Ooh, I love it when a project comes together. How does it feel, do I need to fix anything? Turn around.”** **  
** **

“It feels great, Marinette, really, it’s like they were made for me.” He winked at her as he turned slowly.** **  
** **

“Hang on, there’s a loose thread back here...there.” Marinette stepped back. “Perfect.” She looked up into his face. “Do you like it?”** **  
** **

“I love it.” Luka stepped close and gripped her shoulder. “I really do. You’re an artist, Marinette.” He grinned. “Sneaky, too. You didn’t have any of this detail done the last time I was here.” He turned slightly to indicate the patches of different textured fabric on the jeans. ** **  
** **

Marinette giggled. “It’s true, I saved some things for last so you’d still be surprised.” ** **  
** **

“I’m speechless, really.” He dropped his hand and stepped back, gesturing her towards the other screen. “But you better…” Marinette nodded and turned away as he turned to look in her full length mirror. He could see then just how well the clothes complimented his body. Luka wasn’t especially vain, but his face heated a little bit as he wondered exactly how much time she’d spent looking at him to get such results. ** **  
** **

“How’s Juleka doing?” He heard Marinette whisper to Rose, who was standing at the corner of Juleka’s screen. ** **  
** **

“She’s freaking out a little bit,” Rose whispered back. “I think I can calm her down, I just need a little more time.”** **  
** **

“Take as long as she needs,” Marinette told Rose, and then she turned to Luka. “Why don’t I go on down and meet Alya at the park?” Marinette suggested, putting a hand on his arm. “Come down when you’re ready, okay? No pressure, we’ve got plenty of time.”** **  
** **

“Thanks Marinette,” Luka smiled at her. “I’ll play for her a bit, that might help calm her down.”** **  
** **

“Perfect. Okay, we’ll see you in a few minutes. Meet us by the near fountain when you’re ready.” Marinette went down through the trapdoor.** **  
** **

Luka picked up his ever-present guitar and sat on Marinette’s chaise, playing a familiar, comforting melody just to remind Juleka that he was there with her. ** **  
** **

After a few minutes his sister finally emerged from the screen, paler even than usual, but breathing steadily. Luka smiled as he looked Juleka over. He wasn’t sure how they’d done it but her hair was smoothed back into a low tail, the purple tips of her bangs tucked under the rest of her hair so the color didn’t show and clash with the blues and reds accenting the black clothes, and she wore combs on the sides of her head with a beaded version of Marinette’s snake motif. The flowy shirt had lace accents edging a wide collar that exposed Juleka’s collarbone, paired with sleek black pants that were textured similar to his own. Her outfit was both Juleka and Marinette, with a vibe that mixed Juleka’s edge with Marinette’s sweetness, and lent Juleka a bit of Marinette’s boldness as well. There was no hiding in this outfit, even with Juleka curling in on herself in nervousness. Luka got up and maneuvered her in front of the long mirror, so she could see herself. ** **  
** **

“I like it,” was all he said, but Juleka glowed, her shoulders straightening as she looked herself over, and he swallowed against another rush of emotion to see her stand proud. “Well,” he said, smiling at her reflection, “Are we ready to do this?”** **  
** **

Juleka gave him a decisive nod, and led the way down the stairs. ** **  
** **

Marinette had her back to them as they approached, and she was clearly arguing with Alya about something. ** **  
** **

“No, Alya. I’m going to go with Luka and we’re going to have _ fun _ and there’s not going to be any pressure or awkwardness or drama, end of story. Anyway, I asked him weeks ago, I’m not going to bail on him now.” ** **  
** **

“I still think you’re missing a chance, but if you’ve already asked him then I guess—oh, hey guys! Ready to rock the camera, you two?” Alya waved and Marinette turned quickly, blushing as Luka and Juleka approached. ** **  
** **

“Great, you’re here,” Marinette said, putting on a smile that was only a little strained.** **  
** **

“Everything okay?” Luka asked her quietly as Alya turned away.** **  
** **

“Yeah, just a difference of opinion,” Marinette smiled thinly. “We’re having a lot of those lately, but we’re working on it. At least this time she took no for an answer, so that’s progress.” She smiled at Juleka. “Ready Juleka? How do you feel?” ** **  
** **

“Okay,” Juleka said, fidgeting. Her shoulders were rolling forward again as her chin dropped toward her chest. Rose took her hand.** **  
** **

“Just like the plan, Juleka,” Marinette said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll start out here at the fountain, and then if we feel up to it, we’ll try a few other places through the park. We’ve got plenty of time so we can take a break any time you need to. We’re aiming for way more pictures than we actually need, so don’t feel pressured. Then just before sunset when we have the best light, we’ll change you both into the formal clothes.” ** **  
** **

Juleka nodded her understanding. ** **  
** **

“As for poses, I have some reference pictures to get us started, and then as you get comfortable, we can just roll from there.” She patted Juleka’s shoulder. “If you need a break, don’t be afraid to let us know, okay? ”** **  
** **

Juleka dipped her head in a way that normally would have hidden her face, ashamed of her weakness. “Okay,” she mumbled.** **  
** **

Luka lifted his hand to rest it on her shoulder but he was distracted as Alya put one fist on her hip, and proclaimed, “Man, I had no idea you were packing guns like that, Luka. Marinette, he needs a tattoo. He doesn’t look right without one. Maybe you could draw the snake on him with a sharpie or something.”** **  
** **

“Alya, he doesn’t need a tattoo, his arms are nice the way they are,” Marinette replied decisively, pushing Luka gently towards the bench by the fountain and scowling back at her friend. ** **  
** **

“Ohhhh are they now,” Alya drawled, cocking a hip and shooting a smug look at Marinette, who spluttered. ** **  
** **

“I’m just saying he’s fine the way he is!” she flailed, and then turned to Luka. “I mean, not that you would look bad with a tattoo if you wanted one, but you don’t _ need _ one.” ** **  
** **

Luka snorted, seating himself on the bench. “I’d love one but I’m a total wuss around needles.”** **  
** **

Marinette paused her freakout and looked at him. “Really?”** **  
** **

“Absolute truth.”** **  
** **

“But your ears are pierced.”** **  
** **

Juleka snickered. “He passed out.”** **  
** **

“And she’s never going to let me forget it,” Luka sighed. 

“Not in a million years,” Juleka grinned back at him. 

“Big talk from someone who’s afraid of a few pictures,” Luka challenged, eyebrows raised. “Are you coming over here or what?”** **  
** **

A flush lit Juleka’s pale cheeks and he winced, afraid he’d pushed too far, but Marinette took her cheerfully by the hand and led her to the bench. She sat down between them for a moment, showing them the pictures she’d brought.** **  
** **

It was smart, giving them a place to start from, though Luka frequently had a hard time keeping a straight face as they tried to get into the poses. Marinette finally rolled her eyes at him and told him to go ahead and laugh so he could be serious when it was time for the pictures. ** **  
** **

While he did manage to keep a straight face once they really got started, the awkward feeling didn’t leave him. Luka tried not to mind. He was really doing this for Juleka and Marinette, anyway, and he was willing to feel stupid for a while for their sakes. Marinette kept up a cheerful stream of praise and chatter and Rose was bubbling over with enthusiasm as always. Juleka began to relax and get into it, even giggling once or twice at Marinette’s silliness or blushing at Rose’s enthusiastic praise. Pride swelled in his chest as Juleka’s confidence grew; she really was gorgeous and it was gratifying to see her come to life, out of the protective shell she’d so carefully built around herself. ** **  
** **

“Oh, are you guys doing a little photoshoot? How cute!”** **  
** **

The saccharine voice was unfamiliar and somehow thoroughly unpleasant, but Luka didn’t break pose until he heard Alya’s camera click. He felt Juleka draw closer to him, nearly hiding behind him, and he looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. She bit her lip and raised her hand as if to brush her bangs forward, but stopped.** **  
** **

Marinette planted herself squarely between her models and the newcomer. Newcomers, Luka realized. He didn’t recognize the girl with the long hair but Adrien had come up behind her. _ Great _ , he thought, glancing at Juleka again and then back at Marinette. _ Just what we needed. _ ** **  
** **

“Hi guys,” said Adrien, looking more on edge than Luka had ever seen him. Or maybe it wasn’t the way he looked, maybe it was the way he sounded, a stressed out edge to his voice that was at odds with his relaxed stance. “Doing some more work for your website, Marinette? The designs look great, really unique.” ** **  
** **

“They’re definitely not like anything I’ve ever seen,” the girl said, and though the words were innocent, somehow they sounded like an insult. Luka felt his shoulders tensing up.** **  
** **

“Isn’t it cool, Lila? Marinette’s always been plugged in to the rock ‘n roll aesthetic,” Alya said cheerfully. “You know, with all the work she’s done for Jagged Stone, and all. It’s a smart angle to start with for the website, but you know you need to show some range too, girl! Maybe next time, you can be her inspiration model, Adrien!”** **  
** **

“Adrien’s a professional model, Alya,” Marinette pointed out. “He’s under contract with _ Gabriel _ and they’re very strict about using his likeness. I could get sued if Adrien modelled for me without permission.” ** **  
** **

Adrien looked stricken. “I didn’t even think about that last time, Marinette.” ** **  
** **

“You’re okay! I mean, it’s okay! I didn’t think of it either until later. N-n-not that I didn’t appreciate the lelp, uh, help.” Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, then squared her shoulders and opened her eyes to smile at Adrien. “I appreciate you helping out, and of course I’m always happy to have your advice, but I think it’d be best if you didn’t appear in any more of the photos.”** **  
** **

Luka’s eyes widened slightly. “Whoa,” Juleka muttered beside him. “That was a whole sentence.”** **  
** **

“Well, of course _ Gabriel _ can’t allow Adrien to be _ used _ like that,” Lila said brightly, just the slightest emphasis turning her statement into a condemnation. Easily deniable if anyone called her out on it, Luka thought, a sour taste in his mouth. What a manipulative piece of work. Her eyes on him made his skin crawl and suddenly he was the one who wanted to hide behind Juleka. ** **  
** **

“I’m glad to see you’re giving modelling another try, Juleka,” Adrien grinned at them, and Juleka gave him a tentative smile around Luka’s shoulder. “Don’t be shy, you look fantastic, and this is one of my favorite locations to shoot.” He waved a hand at the photographer setting up near the carousel. “Just be confident, you’ll do great.” ** **  
** **

Luka turned his body so that Juleka was fully visible, though he put his hand on her back for support. “She looks awesome, doesn’t she? I keep telling her how pretty she is, but I guess it doesn’t mean much coming from her brother.” Juleka scowled and socked him in the arm. “Ow, don’t bruise me before we’re done with the photos,” he teased. ** **  
** **

“Of course Juleka’s nervous,” giggled Lila. “I mean, there’s so much more to modeling than just being pretty. I don’t have much experience yet, but M. Agreste picked me _ personally _ , so I just know I can’t let him down. But when you’re working with an up and coming designer, you never know what people are going to think! I mean, _ we _ all know Marinette’s wonderful, but once it’s out on the web it’s out there for everybody, isn’t it, and people can be so fickle and cruel. It definitely won’t do Juleka’s modelling dreams any good if it turns out the public hates the designs.” ** **  
** **

“Well, Marinette did win my father’s design contest,” Adrien piped up, his smile as bland as ever, but with that same stressed out edge to his voice. “And I know they gave you a release to use the photos from the show for that. That should get people’s attention, and once people are looking I know they’ll be blown away.”** **  
** **

“Marinette’s work speaks for itself,” Luka agreed, his own easy tone covering just how much her insinuations annoyed him. “There will always be haters, you can’t please everybody, but these are definitely the best clothes I’ve ever worn.”** **  
** **

“Of course,” Lila said, eyeing him up and down with a slight sneer, as if she hadn’t been blatantly checking him out a few minutes ago. Luka heard Juleka growl quietly. “I’m so lucky, modelling _ Gabriel _ clothing, you just can’t help but feel confident.” Lila gave a little twirl to show off her dress. “It makes such a difference.” She latched on to Adrien’s arm. “And having such an amazing partner to work with is a huge help. And you have such an _ unusual _ look, Juleka, I’m sure you’ll stand out no matter what people think of the clothes. Just don’t think too much about what you’re wearing and you’ll do great!” ** **  
** **

Juleka straightened up, her shoulders going back and her uncovered eyes flashing. “Don’t worry about me,” she said, so clearly that everyone looked at her in surprise. “I feel great in this.” She struck a pose, and Alya whipped the camera up, grinning like a maniac.** **  
** **

“Show her how it’s done, Jule,” Luka muttered approvingly, backing out of the shot.** **  
** **

“That’s great, Juleka. Tilt your chin up just a little more—there, perfect!” Adrien cheered. Lila gave her “partner” a black look, but if Adrien noticed, he ignored it. The others were staring wide-eyed at Juleka as she went through a series of poses, looking like the pro Luka knew she could be. He folded his arms and grinned, winking at her when she seemed to run out of steam and glanced at him as if to ask, _ how did I do? _ ** **  
** **

Suddenly Alya gasped. “Marinette, I have the greatest idea,” she squealed, grabbing Marinette’s arm. “Why don’t you put on the jacket and go pose with Luka?”** **  
** **

Marinette scowled. “Alya, that was supposed to be a surprise!” ** **  
** **

“Never mind that right now, put it on! It’ll be great, you’ll look like the sweet girl wearing her bad boy boyfriend’s jacket. Juleka, you don’t mind taking a quick break, do you? In fact, maybe you could do something with Marinette’s hair real quick. Luka, come back over here.”** **  
** **

Marinette sighed, but took a prettily wrapped package out of her bag, opened it carefully, and slipped on a denim jacket with the snake motif embroidered on the front panels. It was much too big for Marinette, and Alya was right, it did look like she was wearing her boyfriend’s jacket. He took a slow breath to banish the heat creeping up his neck, glad that he had an excellent poker face. Because he was _ mature _ and chill and he could totally pose like her boyfriend without blushing up a storm, no big deal. He glanced at Alya, who looked entirely too pleased with herself. Luka was aware from Juleka that Alya was the head of the get-Marinette-a-date posse. Whether all this achieved was pushing Marinette and Luka together, or whether they actually managed to make Adrien jealous enough to open his eyes, he supposed it was a win-win from her perspective. ** **  
** **

Oh well, if Marinette wasn’t going to object, he wouldn’t either. ** **  
** **

Juleka redid Marinette’s hair into a low ponytail and put the end over her shoulder, while Rose touched up her makeup with quick, efficient movements. ** **  
** **

When Marinette turned towards Alya for her approval, Luka saw that the back of the jacket was intricately embroidered with more elaborate version of the snake and flowers design on his guitar. It was a stunning piece, a little bit retro and a little bit punk with just a touch of Marinette sweetness. It looked like a huge amount of work and he kind of loved it. Maybe if he ever did manage to sell a song, he could get Marinette to make him one.** **  
** **

“Wow, Marinette,” Adrien said admiringly, examining the detail on the jacket lapels. “That’s quality work. Really nice. And did you design the back yourself? It looks amazing.” ** **  
** **

“Oh, Marinette, you do so much work,” Lila chimed in. “No wonder your hands are always so rough, you must work your fingers to the bone, poor thing! It’s great to follow your passion, but you shouldn’t wear yourself out! I can tell you haven’t had much sleep lately.”** **  
** **

Marinette growled, and Lila’s eyes widened innocently. Alya elbowed Marientte, who just sighed. ** **  
** **

“Ready when you are, Marinette,” Luka said nonchalantly, putting a hand on her shoulder to guide her away. “Where do you want us, Alya?” ** **  
** **

“The jacket is amazing, by the way,” he added under his breath as Alya directed them back toward the fountain. “And your _ friend _ is about as charming as you described. Don’t let her get to you, she can’t ruin this.” ** **  
** **

“Don’t underestimate her,” Marinette muttered back.** **  
** **

“Don’t underestimate yourself either. You’ve been fantastic all day, Marinette. You’re confident, in charge, you have a plan for everything, the clothes are fantastic, and did you see Juleka just now?”** **  
** **

“She was amazing, wasn’t she?” Marinette giggled. ** **  
** **

“Because of you. You set this whole thing up to be as relaxed as possible, you made sure she had the support she needed, you planned ahead and prepared. You set her up for success. I’m proud of her, but I’m always amazed by you.”** **  
** **

Luka smiled at her, and heard the camera click behind him, reminding him of the others. ** **  
** **

“Okay, Luka, stand over here and then lean against the bench there, like you’re almost sitting on the arm, and then Marinette, you go stand close to him.** **  
** **

“You might want to move a little more to the right, Marinette, so you can still see his clothes,” Adrien interjected. “There, perfect,” he grinned as Marinette adjusted.** **  
** **

“Luka, put your far hand on her waist and Marinette, you turn your back to me and put your hand on his shoulder—or maybe his chest would be better,” Alya directed.** **  
** **

“Is that okay with you?” Luka asked Marinette, who was blushing rather fiercely. ** **  
** **

“S-sure,” she stammered, and Luka frowned. ** **  
** **

“You don’t sound okay with it. You can tell Alya no if—”** **  
** **

“No, it’s fine, I just didn’t expect to be in front of the camera today and I’m nervous.” He watched her face as he settled a hand on her waist, but she didn’t flinch or look like she wanted to move away. Marinette raised her hand and it hovered uncertainly in front of him. “What about you, is this—”** **  
** **

Luka took her hand held it over his heart, cradling it in such a way that her hand was mostly resting on his hand rather than on his chest, and Alya squealed. “Oh, keep holding her hand like that, that’s perfect. Marinette, keep your back to me but turn towards him just a little bit. Perfect. Now just look like you’re in love, you too.”** **  
** **

Well, at least that wasn’t hard. Not for him, anyway. Luka studied Marinette’s stiff face. “Is she always this enthusiastic?” he asked with a small smile. Marinette giggled and relaxed a little.** **  
** **

“Yes, always,” she told him. “Always, everyday, one hundred percent. That’s Alya.”** **  
** **

“Marinette!” Alya called. “Get up on your toes and kiss his cheek!”** **  
** **

“Alyaaaa,” Marinette grumbled, and then looked up shyly at Luka. “Is that okay?”** **  
** **

“It’s fine with me, but only if you want to, Marinette. The world won’t end if we don’t get that specific shot. Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.”** **  
** **

Instead of answering she did as Alya directed, rising up on her toes and barely brushing her lips to Luka’s cheek, pausing there for a moment to give Alya a chance to get the shot, before pulling back. Luka tried not to smile, but didn’t succeed very well. ** **  
** **

Alya squealed when she checked the image and showed it to Juleka, who smirked at Luka, and to Adrien, who nodded approvingly. “Looking good.”** **  
** **

“They should back up a little more, closer to the fountain,” Lila suggested. ** **  
** **

“Great idea,” Alya replied brightly. “Luka, why don’t you get your guitar? Marinette, sit on the edge of the fountain and cross your legs.”** **  
** **

“Wait, let’s make sure it’s not wet first,” Lila said, hurrying forward. “Maybe over here, Marinette, come this way.”** **  
** **

Luka didn’t clearly see what happened, he only saw Marinette pitch forward suddenly. He lunged forward at the same time as Adrien. ** **  
** **

Both of them were too far away. Marientte crashed into the bowl of the fountain with a splash. ** **  
** **

“Oh no, Marinette!” Lila cried, jumping back just in time to avoid the wave of water that slipped over the side of the fountain. “Oh, I should have remembered how clumsy you are, I should never have suggested getting that close! All those outcroppings at the bottom, of course you tripped!” ** **  
** **

Luka stopped short of the bowl of the fountain and leaned over the edge, reaching for Marinette. Adrien hopped right over the edge and waded to her, catching her other arm. Together they hauled the gasping and stunned girl upright and got her seated on the edge.** **  
** **

“Are you all right? Did you hit your head?” Luka asked anxiously. ** **  
** **

“I don’t think so, it was just c-cold,” Marinette stuttered. “It knocked the wind out of me.” ** **  
** **

Adrien didn’t say anything, but the model’s lips were pressed in a thin line as he looked back at Lila. To Luka’s surprise, the girl openly smirked at him. She was too close for any of the girls to see it. ** **  
** **

“Oh, Marinette, is your jacket ruined?” She crooned, pitting her hands to her face.** **  
** **

“No,” Martinette gritted. “I made sure it was washable.” ** **  
** **

“Oh, that’s a relief,” Lila said insincerely as the other girls finally snapped out of their stupor and came running. ** **  
** **

“Oh, Marinette,” Alya sighed. “Girl, what a time to pull a Marinette special. At least we got a few good shots.” She looked at Luka and groaned. “And now you’re wet too. Guess that means it’s time for the wardrobe change.” ** **  
** **

Lila opened her mouth but Adrien cut her off. “Well, I’d say good luck, but I don’t think you need it. The weather’s great for a shoot, just enough clouds to keep the light soft. I hope you get some good shots. We’re due in makeup any minute now, so we better go.” Adrien took Lila’s upper arm and began propelling her away. “Stay confident, Juleka, you look fantastic. I can’t wait to see the pictures, Marinette.” He practically frogmarched Lila back to their waiting photographer across the square. Luka watched them go with a frown. Their whole vibe was just...weird.** **  
** **

“It’s almost golden hour anyway, so this is as good a time as any,” Alya shrugged. “You guys go, I’ll hang out here and wait for you.” She looked over toward the other photoshoot.** **  
** **

Marinette sighed, shoulders slumping. “Sure. But, why don’t we take the camera with us? I’ll go ahead and download a copy of the pictures so we have a backup. You know, in case you need more space or something.” ** **  
** **

Alya raised an eyebrow. “You sure, girl? You’re more likely to drop it in the street by accident. And you’re dripping wet.”** **  
** **

“Rose can carry it!” Marinette declared, looking over to the other photo shoot with narrowed eyes. Alya rolled her eyes.** **  
** **

“You’re paranoid, girl. I don’t know how you’re blaming Lila when we all know you don’t need help to fall in a fountain, but whatever.” She handed over the camera.** **  
** **

Marinette turned towards the rest of the group and pasted on a smile so fake Luka felt physically pained by it. “Okay, my fabulous models, back to the bakery!” She started off without looking back to see if they were following.** **  
** **

Luka hesitated, and then sped his long stride a little bit to catch up with Marinette. She looked up with that fake smile and he winced. “Don’t,” he said, as he put his arm around her shoulders, ignoring how wet she was. He’d already been splashed getting her out, anyway, and she hadn’t freaked out, so presumably the water wouldn’t hurt his clothes. Marinette’s smile dimmed, became a lot smaller but a lot more genuine, and she leaned into him. ** **  
** **

“Sorry,” she sighed.** **  
** **

“It’s okay. Just feel what you need to feel. You don’t have to fake it. So that was Lila, huh?” ** **  
** **

“Yep,” Marinette grumbled. ** **  
** **

“I think you were smart not to leave the camera.”** **  
** **

“Really?” Marinette looked up at him.** **  
** **

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know the girl, but I don’t like the way she looks at you. And after everything that happened, better safe than sorry.” He bit his lip. “Did she push you in?” he asked very quietly.** **  
** **

“I don’t think so,” Marinette frowned. “It happened so fast. Will you think I’m paranoid if I say I think she planned it either way?” ** **  
** **

“No,” Luka replied grimly. “The look on her face afterward was proof enough.”** **  
** **

“Thanks, Luka,” Marinette sighed. “You don’t know how much it means to me to hear that someone sees what I see.” ** **  
** **

“I saw it. I heard it in every word she said.” Then, hoping to lighten the mood, he asked, “What’s golden hour, by the way?”** **  
** **

“The hour right before sunset has the best light,” she explained. “It’ll make everything look nice and soft for the formal clothes.” ** **  
** **

“But it means we’re on a schedule,” Luka nodded. “Got it. All right then, your dress-up doll awaits.” Marinette snorted and smacked his arm, and he chuckled.** **  
** **

They all trumped up the steps to her loft, Marinette waving off Mrs. Chemg’s confused questions about why her daughter was soaking wet with a “tell you later!”** **  
** **

“You were amazing out there, Juleka,” Marinette, now wearing dry clothes, told her over the screen. “You really showed Lila.”** **  
** **

“I suppose,” Juleka’s subdued voice replied. “It was just...I didn’t like...I mean, she didn’t really say anything bad, but…” There was a long pause. “I just didn’t like it.”** **  
** **

“She was being kind of insensitive,” Rose agreed. “I’m sure she didn’t mean to, but..”** **  
** **

“She meant to,” Luka said flatly, emerging from behind his own screen, straightening the suit jacket. “If I tried to play what was in that girl’s heart this afternoon, it would sound like a horror movie soundtrack. She knows exactly what she’s saying.” He sighed as Marinette and Rose stared at him. “You know I would never tell you who to be friends with, Jule,” he said, addressing himself to the screen, “But if you’re going to keep hanging around with her...well, just be careful. She’s the kind who knows how to hit where it hurts. If she decides you’re not on her side anymore, it won’t be pretty.”** **  
** **

“You...really think she’s that bad?” asked Rose, glancing sideways at Marinette and then back to Luka. ** **  
** **

“Probably not, as long as you’re on her good side.” Luka shrugged. “But she’s definitely not the kind of person _ I’d _ want to be friends with.” He spread his hands. “How do I look?” ** **  
** **

“Gorgeous,” Marinette answered without thinking, and then blushed deeply as Luka grinned. “I mean, the suit looks perfect on you.”

“You’re spoiling me for regular clothes, you know that, right? Do I need to wear a tie?” He tried really hard not to whine that last bit, but it did come out sounding a little put-upon.** **  
** **

Marinette giggled. “No, I cut the collar to look good without one. We just need to do this--” Marinette unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and fidgeted with the collar for a moment. “There. Okay, stand back, look relaxed, put your hands in your pockets.” ** **  
** **

Luka did as she asked, and chuckled as she gave a little squeal-hop-wiggle. “It looks so good!”

“Of course it does,” he said warmly. “You do great work, Marinette. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.” He looked up as Juleka emerged from behind her screen in a closely fitted dress that flared out from her knees, going to the floor in the back and the middle of her shins in the front, and grinned. “Awesome, Juleka.” ** **  
** **

“I took a chance with this one,” Marinette said critically, circling Juleka. “But I think it worked out. Girly, but edgy. Do you like it, Juleka?” ** **  
** **

“I love it.” Juleka said it in a mumble, but there was a smile on her face as she rotated in front of the mirror. “Awesome.” The snake motif flowed down the lines of her body from her shoulder to the hem. 

“Man, when did you grow up?” Luka asked admiringly, even though he knew she would hit him for it. She did, turning and punching him lightly in the arm.** **  
** **

“We’re only two years apart, weirdo.”** **  
** **

He reached out to ruffle her hair, but stopped himself just in time. The girls had tucked it up into some kind of complicated knot that they probably would have killed him for destroying.** **  
** **

“Let’s go,” Juleka huffed, turning away, but Luka could see she was pleased. ** **  
** **

They made it down the stairs and to the park without incident. Marinette had been right, he realized, the park was filled with soft golden light. Marinette frowned. “Where’s--oh.”** **  
** **

Alya came jogging over from the other shoot, waving. “Hey all, you look great! Let’s do this!”** **  
** **

Marinette showed them another packet of poses and this time it didn’t take nearly as long for them to get relaxed into it. Marinette pulled Luka after they had a few good shots of him and let Juleka take center stage for the rest of the shoot. ** **  
** **

“Look at her,” Luka said softly to Marinette. Thanks so much for doing this, Marinette. I can tell it’s really helping her confidence.”** **  
** **

Marinette squeezed his arm gently. “You’re such a softy of a big brother.” ** **  
** **

Then it was sunset and they all went back to Marinette’s, the models changed back into their regular clothes, and everyone crammed around Marinette’s computer. “Now keep in mind none of these are edited,” Alya warned. “This is just a first look.”** **  
** **

“Tell me if there’s any you really hate and I won’t use them,” Marinette said as Alya loaded the images.** **  
** **

Pride swelled in Luka’s chest as they clicked through the pictures. Juleka was a bit stiff in the first few, but as she got more relaxed the pictures got better and better. The girls squealed and gushed, and he stood with a slow smile spreading over his face. Luka put his hand on Juleka’s shoulder and squeezed. “You look great, Jule,” he said quietly, when there was a pause in Rose’s excited gushing. “I told you you were made for this.” She didn’t say anything, but looking down, he could see the smile curling her lips. “This is...kind of a lot of pictures,” he remarked as the slideshow seemed to go on and on. ** **  
** **

“Thank God for digital,” Alya said brightly, and then Luka couldn’t answer because he was staring at the picture of himself holding Marinette’s hand against his chest, looking down at her with an expression that could best be described as “quietly enamored” as she looked back up at him, the picture of sweetness and innocence. Objectively, it was a good picture, showing off the cut and details of his suit as well as the detailed embroidery on the back of the jacket. They also absolutely looked like a couple. In fact he’d seen engagement photos that looked just like this. He felt Juleka’s elbow dig into his ribs and his face heated at her quiet snicker. ** **  
** **

Luka folded his arms and covered his mouth with one hand as Alya went through the rest of the pictures. Marinette standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek almost killed him. It was obvious that he was trying not to grin and Marinette had a pretty blush on her face. He hadn’t even noticed at the time that she had lifted one foot off the ground but it made the whole pose even cuter. ** **  
** **

He dared a glance at Marinette and found her peeking through her fingers at him. He bit his lip and tried not to laugh, she looked so cute, sparkling with both amusement and mortification. Both of them shook with repressed laughter as Rose squealed delightedly at each new picture.** **  
** **

“So we can do some editing tomorrow,” Alya said, closing the window. “There should be plenty to work with. I think that turned out pretty well. I gotta jet like now, guys, so I’ll see you tomorrow!” She packed up her things and was gone as the other girls waved.** **  
** **

“I think some of those will be really fantastic for your portfolio, Juleka,” Marinette added. “Thank you so much for coming today.” ** **  
** **

Juleka turned and hugged Marinette, mumbling something in her ear that clearly wasn’t meant for anyone else to catch. Whatever it was made Marinette tear up and squeeze Juleka even harder. Then, to his mild surprise, Juleka turned away from Marinette and hugged him too. “You’re stupid and I hate you,” she muttered into his shoulder. “Thanks for being there with me today.”** **  
** **

“You’re a pest and you exhaust me,” he told her, kissing her forehead. “I wouldn’t have been anywhere else.”** **  
** **

“Can I pleeeeeeeease hug now?” Rose begged, and then jumped on both of them before anyone could answer her. Luka laughed and expanded his embrace to include her. ** **  
** **

“All right, all right, you guys go,” he squeezed them both one more time. “I know you’re dying to gush, so don’t wait for me.”** **  
** **

They didn’t, and he chuckled as they clattered down the stairs, Rose’s squeals audible until they left the house entirely. “Juleka’s going to have hearing damage before Rose is done with her,” Luka observed. ** **  
** **

Marinette sat down in her desk chair with a heavy sigh. “That was fun, but I’m _ tired _ .” ** **  
** **

“I could hear it, today,” Luka said, sitting down on the chaise and picking up his guitar. Marinette looked up at him. ** **  
** **

“Hear what?”** **  
** **

“M.” ** **  
** **

She brightened and came to sit next to him. “Really?”** **  
** **

“Really. I told you earlier, you were amazing today.” He brushed her bangs back from her forehead and tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes clearly. “I was right. It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to hear more of it. But Juleka said something to me a few days ago and I think she was right too.” Marinette blinked at him and he let his hand fall, still smiling back at her as he continued. “You can get by on your own—“ He played G for her as he’d done before. “But it’s not what makes you happy. M sounds better as a chord.” He played a G major chord. “Now that you’re in tune, maybe the next step is figuring out which other notes need to be in it, and which ones just don’t mesh.”** **  
** **

Marinette sighed. “How can I do that if they’re all out of tune too?” She wrinkled her nose. “This metaphor might be too complicated for me.”** **  
** **

“You're doing fine,” he chuckled, squeezing her shoulder. “You know you can’t control anyone else, Marinette. People will be who they are.”** **  
** **

“But it’s not who they are,” Marinette pouted. “It’s who _ she _ wants them to be. That, what you saw out there earlier today, that wasn’t Alya. That wasn’t Adrien.” ** **  
** **

Luka hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I can’t really speak to that, I don’t know Alya enough. But, you know, I don’t think people really change that much that fast. Maybe it’s just that, Alya is her best self when she’s with you, and her worst self when she’s around Lila. Selfish people have that effect sometimes. Selfishness feeds selfishness. And as for Adrien...” Luka shook his head, strumming a tune thoughtfully. “I don’t know, there’s something weird going on there. He seemed like he was trying to rein Lila in, but for some reason he was afraid to be too open about it.” He shook his head again. “Really weird. But...try to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think there’s something going on there that we’re not seeing.”** **  
** **

Marinette nodded slowly, and then smiled up at him. “Thanks Luka.” ** **  
** **

“Always, Marinette.”** **  
** **

“So...are you part of my chord, then?”** **  
** **

He smiled down at the strings moving under his hands. “I’d like to be,” he said softly, and then quickly added, “Remember how you felt today. How it feels to be the real you. It’ll help you stay in tune from here.”** **  
** **

“Thanks for doing this, Luka,” Marinette said, as he stopped playing and reluctantly put the guitar back in its case. “It was great you were there for a bunch of reasons, but--I also think it wouldn’t have been as much fun without you. It was great having your support the last few weeks. I really needed it.”** **  
** **

“You know you don’t need any excuse for that, Marinette.” Luka stood up and lifted the strap over his head, settling the case on his back. “Really. I’ve loved spending time with you and I hope we can still hang out.”** **  
** **

“Me too,” she said, cheeks dusting with pink, standing up with him. “Um, and…” She turned away and pulled down the denim jacket she’d hung up to dry. “Alya kind of spoiled the surprise,” Marinette sighed, “And it’s still pretty damp, but, um,” she held out it out to him. “This is for you.”** **  
** **

“For...me?” Luka just stared at her for a moment. “Marinette, I can’t, that must have been so much work. It looked so good on you, you should keep it.” Luka folded his hands over hers and pushed the jacket gently back towards her. ** **  
** **

Marinette pouted. “Luka, I made it for you. I just, I was thinking about you and the idea came to me and I couldn’t _ not _ make it for you. You have to take it, I even made it with extra room so you can still wear your hoodie under it. It goes with your guitar. It’ll never suit anybody else as well as it would you.” ** **  
** **

“But—” He knew even as he protested that it was futile. He was an artist, too, and he knew exactly what she meant when she said she couldn’t _ not _ make it. Sometimes a melody was too perfect and you just couldn’t help but use it. Luka knew he had to take it even before she spoke again. ** **  
** **

“Please? I wanted to. I’ll be crushed if you don’t keep it,” Marinette told him, and that was it. Luka sighed and took the jacket from her hands. ** **  
** **

“I love it,” he told her, running his fingers along the embroidery. “I really do. It’s perfect. I...” He shook his head, at a loss for words.** **  
** **

Marinette stepped into him and hugged him, and he wrapped one arm tight around her. “Thanks for everything, Luka.”** **  
** **

“I didn’t do much. Certainly not compared to this, _ and _ painting my guitar, _ and _ taking me to the awards gala, _ and _ letting me wear the suit you made.” ** **  
** **

“Yeah, you did,” Marinette muttered into his shoulder. “You just don’t know it. You don’t know what it’s meant for me, these past few weeks. Maybe I would have made it through without you, but probably not nearly as well."** **  
** **

“Marinette…”** **  
** **

“I’m glad you’re part of my chord, Luka.”** **  
** **

Luka knew it was a bad idea even as his hand curled behind her neck, tilting her face up, and he called himself six kinds of idiot in his head as he kissed her. But when her mouth came alive under his and they moved softly together, it didn’t feel like a bad idea at all. It felt like heaven, like the cure for homesickness, like the bridge of a love song. ** **  
** **

Love. She loved someone else. He pulled away, already missing her, hating how much he loved the delicate little noise their lips made when they parted. “Thank you,” he said into the space between them, taking a shaky breath. He cleared his throat as he straightened, dropping his hand. “And...sorry. That one was on me. I know I said we shouldn’t, but...I don’t know how else to tell you how much this means to me, Marinette. I’ll treasure it, really.”** **  
** **

“As long as you wear it,” Marinette said a little breathlessly, smiling softly. “Don’t treasure it in the back of the closet.”** **  
** **

“I don’t know how I’ll be able to wear anything else,” Luka said honestly. ** **  
** **

Marinette licked her lips nervously, eyes flicking away and back to his, hands tightening on his almost painfully. “Luka, I—“ ** **  
** **

“I should go,” he muttered, prying his hands away, not wanting to hear another apology. He saw her concerned face and smiled. “It’s—“ He didn’t want to lie to her. “I’ll be okay. I’m just a little overwhelmed and I really need to go now, okay?” ** **  
** **

He turned and walked blindly until he was out of sight, and then slumped against a tree and closed his eyes, irrationally angry. How many times could two people kiss before they admitted they were more than friends? He wanted to kiss her and she wanted to kiss him and why, why couldn’t it just be that simple?** **  
** **

_ Because attraction isn’t love _ , Luka reminded himself, and just because his reactions were driven by his emotions didn’t mean it was the same for her. She didn’t have to be in love with him to be attracted to him, to enjoy kissing him, and if he was hurting right now it was his own fault for kissing her when he knew better. He wanted something so much deeper than that with her. _ She has every right to want someone else. She trusted me when I said I can handle it. _ ** **  
** **

_ We’ll both be crushed if it turns out I can’t. _ ** **  
** **

He shook his head and started for home, determined to find some kind of balance within himself. Luka saw a lot of meditation in his future.**  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned it in my last update to Second Chance but just to make a note here as well, I'm having surgery on Friday as the last step to fixing the damage I did to my foot way back in May, and I have no idea what it will do for my writing time/update schedule. It's not anything super scary and it should be a quick recovery (which will hopefully mean in a couple of weeks I will FINALLY be out of the damn walking cast, I'm so tired of that dang thing ugh) but there may be a longer than usual gap between chapters while I deal with that.
> 
> Edit: Surgery’s done, everything went fine, thanks for all the love and concern ❤️


	6. Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Resolution in western tonal music theory is the move of a note or chord from dissonance (an unstable sound) to a consonance (a more final or stable sounding one).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a monster, and I probably could have simplified it, but--I didn't wanna. Enjoy.

“I’m sorry, could you say that again?” Luka pressed his phone tighter to his ear. 

“Um...Jagged’s sending a limo to take us to the awards gala? And apparently there’s going to be a red carpet and everything.”

“Marinette, how well do you know Jagged Stone? I know you’ve done work for him but this is—“

“Excessive?”

“I mean, kind of? Not that I don’t think you deserve limos and red carpets but—“ Luka put his hand over his face. “Man, I just can’t figure Jagged out.”

“He’s impulsive,” Marinette said sympathetically. “He makes a lot more sense if you pretend he’s permanently twelve.” Luka chuckled. “I don’t know why he’s taken such a shine to me—“

“Well, that part’s easy,” he snorted. “Because you’re amazing, and Maman says that if there’s one thing that never fails Jagged, it’s his ability to recognize other people’s talent and profit from it.” 

“I could believe that, actually,” Marinette replied thoughtfully. “He hired Penny, after all. Luka, are you sure you’re okay with coming? It’s not too late to back out if you think you’ll be uncomfortable. There’s not really any avoiding him, he probably will at least come over and talk to us.”

“No, I...I kind of want to meet him myself?” Luka paced the deck slowly, thinking over his words. “I feel like maybe I’d understand better if I could really talk to him, even if it’s just for a few minutes.” 

“Okay,” Marinette said sympathetically. “I think I understand. If you’re sure.”** **  
** **

“I’m absolutely sure I want to go to a fancy music party with you,” Luka smiled. “The Jagged stuff, I’m less certain of, but it’ll be fine. He’s treated you well and he and Maman settled things between them. I’ll be okay unless something really crazy goes down.”

“This is Paris, Luka, something really crazy is practically guaranteed.”

“True,” Luka chuckled. “I’ll risk it.”

“Okay. Then I’ll tell Penny to have the car come pick you up first, and then come here. I’m...I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Me too,” he smiled, leaning on the rail. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in a while.” He hesitated. “Are you taking care of yourself? That sentimonster last night was really close to your house.” 

“It was, but it didn’t stay here long before Ladybug and Chat Noir lured it away. It did wake us all up, though, so I’m a little short on sleep.”

“I won’t keep you then. You get some rest, and I’ll see you this weekend. Unless you’re coming to rehearsal on Wednesday?”

Marinette sighed. “I wish I could, but I have, er...a massage appointment that afternoon.”

“Really?” Luka lifted his eyebrows at the lie. “Sounds relaxing.”

“Mm, not really, actually. It’s, um, a new thing I’m trying, a Chinese thing, actually, there’s chanting and meditation, but it doesn’t exactly come easy to me.”

“I’ll bet,” Luka chuckled. “But it’ll do you good to learn to slow your mind down a little bit when you want to.” 

“Maybe,” Marinette sighed. “Anyway, I still have to finish my dress before this weekend, so I probably won’t have much free time.”

Luka frowned. “You’re making a whole new dress? I guess I kind of figured you were just going to modify the one you made for Juleka.”

Marinette laughed in a way that told him he’d just said something stupid, and Luka couldn’t help smiling at her mirth. “I could never carry that dress the way Juleka did,” she giggled. “But don’t worry, I’ll be dressed and ready when you get here.”

“Just don’t overwork yourself, Marinette.” 

His heart skipped at the affection in her voice when she said, “I won’t, Luka. I’ll see you Friday.”

“Goodnight, Marinette,” Luka said warmly. 

“Goodnight, Luka.” 

Luka didn’t immediately move from the rail, gazing at the lights of the city over the water. The week was going to crawl by, he knew it. 

* * *

“You look pretty good, considering what you had to work with,” Juleka said, straightening his suit coat. 

“Thanks,” he chuckled. “I think Marinette gets the credit, though.” 

“Hmm. It’s a nice look.” A small smile quirked her lips. “I hope you have fun tonight. Make some good memories.” She tilted her head slightly. “What’s bugging you?”

“It’s stupid,” he grumbled. 

“Obviously. What?”

“Her parents. I don’t exactly stack up against Adrien the perfect, wholesome, millionaire, model-in-a-mansion Agreste on the ‘boys approved to date my daughter’ scale.” He sighed. “Which is dumb on so many levels, starting with the fact that we’re not actually dating.”

Juleka grunted. “They’re cool. Once they see how you look at her, they won’t care about anything else.” 

Luka flushed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Sometimes. Just try not to drool when she comes down the stairs.” Juleka smirked. “If you don’t pass out on sight, you’ll be fine.” 

“You’ve seen the dress?” 

“Yep. I’ve even seen her in the dress. You’re doomed.” Luka groaned and dropped his forehead on his sister’s shoulder. “Ugh, get off, you’re heavy.” She shoved him, and then put her arms around him when he didn’t budge. “You’re about to go rub elbows with some of the biggest names in music and you’re mooning over a girl. Just go and have fun.” 

“I love you,” Luka muttered. “You know that, right? Thanks for being cool. Especially about me making such an idiot of myself over your friend.”

“It is pretty lame,” Juleka agreed. “But Marinette’s pretty awesome, so I forgive you. Just…” she sighed, but didn’t finish. 

“Luka!” Anarka roared from upstairs. “Your ride is here!” 

Luka lifted his head and kissed Juleka’s temple. “I gotta go. I’ll try not to wake you up when I get home.”

He went up the stairs and smiled at the look of pride his mother gave him. “Watch yourself tonight,” she told him. “There’ll be a lot of sharks there and anyone with half an ear will know how talented you are. Don’t get bullied into anything, and for chaos’ sake, _ don’t sign anything _.” Luka chuckled and kissed her cheek.

“I won’t, Maman. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

Anarka brushed his hair back affectionately, and to his mild surprise, leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “I’m proud of you. Go show that girl what she’s missing.” She winked. 

Luka just smiled at her and took himself over the gangplank, trying not to gawk too obviously at the waiting limo. 

* * *

Marinette and her parents were actually outside the bakery when the limo pulled up, taking pictures, it appeared. She had her back to him as the car pulled up, and he saw ruffles cascading from her waist to the floor. Then she turned around and his breath caught. The ruffles were only in the back of the dress, like a train. The front was a strapless knee-length sheath, embellished with snakes and flowers along the lines of her body. There was nothing inappropriate about it, she was covered from her chest to her knees and it wasn’t obscenely tight, but her bare shoulders and arms were enough to get his heart racing. ** **  
** **

And she looked so happy to see him. ** **  
** **

Luka didn’t wait for the chauffeur, he stepped out of the car as soon as it had stopped and reached for Marinette’s hands. “Wow,” was all he said, and she giggled. She stepped back from him and did a careful turn on the toes of her kitten heel shoes. “What do you think? Rock ‘n roll enough for Jagged Stone?”** **  
** **

He thought he needed to remember how to breathe. His eyes were pinned to the snake at her hip, twining through her signature flowers. “Just...stunning.”** **  
** **

Marinette giggled. “Thanks Luka. I’m glad you like the dress, I think it turned out well.”** **  
** **

“I don’t mean the dress, Marinette, I mean you. The whole package. You’re not just a pretty girl in a pretty dress, you’re…” he shook his head in frustration. “I really need my guitar. Just, all that work and creativity and everything you are, and the dress is just the icing on the cake.” ** **  
** **

There was a squeak beyond Marinette and Luka jumped slightly, having forgotten about her parents. _ Crap... _ But when he turned, Tom and Sabine were clinging to one another and staring at Luka and Marinette with starry eyes. They made a little flapping motion with their hands - _ don’t mind us - _ and Luka turned back to Marinette. “I do have a question for you though,” he leaned in, eyes twinkling. “Where have you been keeping all that?” ** **  
** **

“All what?” Marinette asked, tilting her head curiously. Luka stepped forward and took her hand, raising her arm so her bicep flexed, just as she’d done to him weeks ago. Marinette blushed. ** **  
** **

“That,” he grinned. “I can’t believe you gave me a hard time when you’ve been packing these under those cute little cardigans. What, do you deadlift flour sacks for fun?” ** **  
** **

Not to mention yo-yoing all over Paris, that had to be a hell of an upper body workout.** **  
** **

Marinette made a face at him. “Not for fun,” she protested. “Helping with the deliveries is one of my chores.” She blushed and ran her fingers along her shoulder and down her arm in a move that he knew was self-conscious but was giving him some very different feelings. “Is it weird?” ** **  
** **

“It’s hot,” he snorted, and then coughed, turning red. “I mean—well, no, that’s exactly what I meant, I’ll be honest.” She was lean, not bulky, but he could clearly see the well-defined muscles in her arms and shoulders, and the sight of her back made him weak in the knees for a moment before she threw a black lace shawl around her shoulders.** **  
** **

“Really, Marinette, you look amazing,” he said, softening his expression. “I was just teasing you, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You’re gorgeous and the dress is amazing. The ruffles are really you and the details look great. And to think,” he took her hand, “Your looks are the least remarkable thing about you.” He winked as Marinette jerked her hand back, her blush extending all the way down to her shoulders as she shoved him playfully. ** **  
** **

“All right, kids,” Sabine called cheerfully, and Luka jumped, flushing. Still, both Sabine and Tom were still beaming at them both, so he relaxed a little. “Come let me get some pictures of you two in front of the limo and then you can go enjoy yourselves.”** **  
** **

“The car is insane, we could fit the whole band and Ivan’s drums in there with room to spare,” Luka commented as they arranged themselves in front of it. 

Marinette giggled as she cuddled up under his arm. “That’s Jagged for you, never do anything reasonable when you can go totally overboard.” They shared a smile before turning their faces to the camera.** **  
** **

* * *

“You know,” Luka remarked, looking out of the tinted window as they pulled up beside the red carpet. “I really thought I’d be older the first time I got to do this.” He looked back at Marinette with a grin, and she giggled. ** **  
** **

“It’s good practice,” Marinette told him, leaning around him to look. “Wow, that’s a lot of people,” she breathed. ** **  
** **

“Don’t get cold feet on me now,” Luka said, threading his fingers through hers. ** **  
** **

“They’ll probably figure out quickly that we aren’t very important,” she muttered to herself, and then flushed. “I mean, not that you aren’t important—“** **  
** **

“I know what you meant,” he cut her off gently. As cute and occasionally enlightening as her mini-meltdowns could be, now wasn’t a good time. “Take a deep breath and smile, gorgeous, we’re up.” A member of the hotel staff opened the door. Luka took a deep breath himself and slid out of the car, smiling as he turned to offer Marinette his hand. She took it and set her feet carefully on the carpet before standing up. Her eyes flicked around nervously and settled on his, and though he could see a bit of nervous tremble around her lips, her smile was genuine. She took the arm he offered and they began walking the carpet. Marinette stumbled once but Luka steadied her. After the initial barrage of flashbulbs, the reporters mostly ignored them. They were almost to the hotel door when they were stopped by a young lady with a press badge. ** **  
** **

“Excuse me! Excuse me, I’m Leslie Mason with_ Style Queen _ . Can I ask who you’re wearing tonight?” ** **  
** **

Luka was surprised and Marinette was paralyzed, but his stage experience stood him in good stead as he flashed a smile and brought Marinette forward with a gentle tug.** **  
** **

“Maybe you’ve heard of Jagged Stone’s favorite up-and-coming designer, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Well, this is the lady herself and we’re wearing her original designs tonight.” ** **  
** **

“Stunning work, Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” the reporter said admiringly. “And you design for Jagged Stone? Forgive me for saying so but you’re very young, aren’t you? I’d be interested in doing an interview with you sometime for our junior division.” ** **  
** **

“I’d love that,” Marinette said, slipping out one of her business cards. “Here’s my website and information.”** **  
** **

Leslie took the card, sticking it under a paper clip on her notebook and making a note next to it. She looked back up at Luka. ** **  
** **

“And you are?”** **  
** **

“Luka Couffaine, lead guitarist for Kitty Section. We’re here because of Marinette, though, I’m just the guy lucky enough to be her date.” He winked at Marinette. ** **  
** **

“Don’t let him fool you,” Marinette said, squeezing his arm. “He’s a very talented musician and you’re going to hear his name in the future.” She elbowed him and he pulled one of the cards she’d given him out of a pocket.** **  
** **

“Here’s the band’s Instagram and email, feel free to check us out,” he said.** **  
** **

“I will,” Leslie said, brightening. “Thanks for taking the time to speak to me, I know it’s a madhouse out here tonight. Have a great night!”** **  
** **

“Wow,” Marinette breathed as they turned away, “She was kind of young, she’s probably not one of their main writers, that’s why she was talking to us, but an interview, even a small one, for _ Style Teen _ would be huge.” ** **  
** **

“You were right about the business cards,” Luka murmured back as they reached the doors. “You never cease to impress me.” He smiled at her as they went through the doors to the hotel, following the crowd to the elevator.** **  
** **

“I just thought there’s probably a lot of people from the music industry here tonight and I wanted you to be able to make connections if you want to.”** **  
** **

“Thanks, Marinette, really.” Luka curled his fingers around her shoulder to guide her in front of him into the elevator, careful not to step on her dress as he followed. “But honestly, I’m here to have a good time with you.” ** **  
** **

“I know,” she smiled at him. “But just in case. I hope we’re not going to be the only people in our age group though...I suppose Chloe will probably be here somewhere, but she probably won’t want to hang out with us anyway.”** **  
** **

The doormen were just opening the doors for them when there was an uproar behind them. Both of them looked back to see Adrien Agreste stepping out of a limo and waving to the crowd of reports.** **  
** **

“Adrien!” Marinette said in surprise. “Oh, I should have guessed he would come, he’s a fan of Jagged and his dad designs for Clara Nightingale, and I know she’s going to be here tonight.” They watched as Adrien turned and offered his hand to help Kagami out of the car. Luka glanced at Marinette but rather than looking concerned, her face lit with a smile. “Kagami! That’ll be good, then, at least we won’t be the only kids here.”** **  
** **

“We’d better go on inside, they’re probably going to be a few minutes,” Luka observed as Adrien posed and smiled and waved and fielded questions from the crowd. ** **  
** **

“Right, I’m sorry!” Marinette turned and smiled apologetically at the patiently waiting doormen.** **  
** **

They followed the crowd of fancy clothes to the elevators and up to the ballroom. “At least the dinner will be good,” Marinette commented. “Alya’s mom is the head chef here and she’s amazing.”** **  
** **

Luka’s mouth dropped open slightly as he looked around the room. “Wow, there are some crazy famous people here,” he said quietly, and felt Marinette squeeze his arm.** **  
** **

“You’re not going to go all music fanboy on me are you?” she teased.** **  
** **

“I might,” Luka replied honestly. “Some of these people are legends. If they talk to me I can’t guarantee I won’t start to foam at the mouth. Look, that’s the lead guitarist for Steel Skullz over there in the red suit, you wouldn’t believe how that guy can shred.” ** **  
** **

Marinette giggled and leaned into him. “I’m so glad you came with me.” ** **  
** **

Surprised, Luka glanced down at her and put his arm around her. “Thanks for bringing me.” He glanced around. “Was there anything you want to do?”** **  
** **

“I should find Jagged eventually and congratulate him,” Marinette said thoughtfully, “But I can do that any time, I’m sure we’ll hear him when he’s nearby. Let’s see, there’s the cocktail hour and then the dinner, and then the Mayor’s going to make a speech,” she rolled her eyes, “And then it’ll be the afterparty, that’ll probably be when things really get out there. It’s guaranteed to get wild with Jagged, after all. So I guess now we just kind of mingle and try some hors d'oeuvres and see who we bump into? Maybe see how many we recognize, although I think you’ll have me beat in this crowd.” She darted her eyes up at him with a shy smile. ** **  
** **

“That sounds great,” Luka smiled back at her. “I like your hair this way, by the way,” he reached up to touch the shiny blue-black curls hanging at the back of her head. “I didn’t get a chance to say so before.” Every time she turned her head the tips of her curls traced the line from her neck to her shoulder and he was finding it incredibly distracting. ** **  
** **

They drifted through the crowd, and it took effort to keep his mouth shut and not just gape at all the musical celebrities around them. There were others, too, Luka recognized some actors in the crowd. They were stopped a few times for compliments on their clothes, usually coupled with delicate questions designed to figure out who they were, and more importantly, who they knew. Marinette handed out a few more business cards.** **  
** **

A few of the celebrities were actually in their age bracket. They were both checked out and then chatted up by the members of a boy band that Luka vaguely recognized, though he wasn’t a fan of their sound. Luka gently deflected his admirer and watched with slightly exasperated amusement as Marinette failed to recognize the flirting that was aimed at her, too busy talking up Luka and the band to recognize she was being hit on. The boys eventually gave up and drifted off with Kitty Section cards in their pockets, and Luka teased her mercilessly after they were gone. ** **  
** **

She was still red-faced and spluttering when she was tapped on the shoulder by the one person least likely to improve her composure. “Adrien,” she exclaimed when she turned.** **  
** **

“Hi, Marinette, I should have guessed you would be here,” he said to Marinette with a smile as she exchanged cheek kisses with Kagami. “Hi, Luka,” he held his hand out. “Good to see you.”** **  
** **

“Adrien,” Luka took Adrien’s offered hand and pulled him in to bump shoulders. “Nice to see you.” He nodded to Kagami. “Nice to see you again too, Kagami. You look very nice.” She did, though she also looked stiff and formal in her silk kimono. ** **  
** **

Kagami nodded back. “Luka.”** **  
** **

“Wow, Marinette, did you make that dress?” Adrien asked, giving Marinette a once over. “You look amazing.”** **  
** **

“She did,” Luka said proudly, lifting Marinette’s hand over her head so that she spun under his arm, the ruffled train flaring to show off the embroidered snake and flowers. “Isn’t she stunning? Beauty, brains, and style in one tiny, tiny package.”** **  
** **

“Laying it on a little thick, Luka,” she giggled, digging an elbow in his ribs. “And I am not that tiny!”** **  
** **

“I mean every word.” He shot her a soft grin and she went from pink to crimson. “And you are pretty tiny.” He winced as she punched his arm. “Powerful though.”** **  
** **

“Well, I’m really glad you’re both here,” Adrien grinned, rubbing his neck. “Now Kagami and I have someone to hang out with.” ** **  
** **

“Is your mother here, Kagami?” Marinette asked.** **  
** **

“No, she’s not interested in these types of things,” Kagami replied, blushing slightly as she glanced at Adrien. “But when she agreed to let me go since it was with Adrien.”** **  
** **

“Nathalie is here somewhere,” Adrien gestured vaguely. “But I think she’s just staying long enough to greet some clients and then she’s going to take off. Clara Nightingale’s supposed to be here and my father’s been designing for her forever, and there’s a few others she wants to see. I don’t think she’s even staying for the dinner, just the cocktail hour.”** **  
** **

“Are you a fan of Jagged Stone, Kagami?” Marinette asked. ** **  
** **

“Honestly, I’m not very familiar with his music,” Kagami admitted. “I came because Adrien invited me,” she continued, slipping her hand through Adrien’s elbow. “But I’m glad you’re here, Marinette. It’s good to see a friend.” The almost shy way she said the word friend was kind of adorable. ** **  
** **

“Well, we’ve got an expert with us tonight,” Marinette said cheerfully, looking up at Luka in a way that brought color to his cheeks. “So if you have any questions about music, he’s the one to ask.” ** **  
** **

“I don’t know, Marinette, I think you’re one up on me when it comes to Jagged,” Luka said, nudging her. “I think he might be a bigger fan of you than you are of him.”** **  
** **

“I don’t think so,” she said, bumping him with her hip. “I bet you’d blow me away if it came to talking about his music and his career.”** **  
** **

“Well, between the two of you we should be pretty well covered,” Adrien laughed. Then he sighed. “Nathalie’s signaling me, I have to go be the face of the brand for a moment. Kagami, do you want to stay here with Marinette? It’ll probably be way more interesting than coming with me.” ** **  
** **

“I’d rather come with you Adrien,” Kagami smiled up at him, and he shrugged with a self-deprecating grin.** **  
** **

“Suit yourself. We’ll catch you again later Marinette, Luka.” ** **  
** **

“Bye Adrien!” Marinette waved as the other couple moved away. Luka looked down at her curiously. She caught him looking and blinked. “What?”** **  
** **

“Nothing,” he said quickly, flashing a smile. “I guess I thought you’d be depressed that they had to go.”** **  
** **

“They’ll be back,” Marinette shrugged. “And I’ve got you. Shall we go check out the hors—oh, brace yourself, here comes Jagged.”** **  
** **

“Marinette!” Jagged bellowed from halfway across the ballroom. The crowd parted for him as he made a beeline towards them. “Penny, she’s here!”** **  
** **

“Hi Jagged,” Marinette waved and winced slightly as the rock star crushed her into a hug. “Congratulations on your award.”** **  
** **

“Aw, thanks, my favorite fashion designer. The dress you made Penny is _ killer_.” He let her go just enough to spin her around to face his agent. ** **  
** **

“Penny!” Marinette accepted the older woman’s embrace. “You look fantastic.”** **  
** **

“Of course she does!” boomed Jagged as he put his arms around them both. “Penny always looks radiant, but I knew when the mayor told us about this little party that nobody could make her look as rock ‘n roll as you, Marinette! And now we have two rock ‘n roll goddesses amongst us! Love the snakes.” ** **  
** **

“Thanks Jagged,” Marinette squirmed herself out from under Jagged’s arm and retreated to Luka’s side. “You remember my friend Luka? Luka Couffaine.”** **  
** **

Jagged turned and Luka felt breathless just from the sheer force of the man’s personality. “Hope you’re taking good care of my girl tonight in this crowd. Let me guess, Marinette made this too? Killer!”** **  
** **

“She did,” Luka smiled at her as he took the hand Jagged offered. “Marinette’s done a lot of work for my band as well. No better designer out there.”** **  
** **

“Luka,” Marinette huffed. ** **  
** **

“Wait, I remember you,” Jagged said, still holding onto Luka’s hand. “You’re Nanarchy’s son.” Jagged’s eyes fixed on him again, searching his face in a way that made Luka tense up. “How old are you, kid?”** **  
** **

“I’m seventeen,” Luka answered a little stiffly. He could practically see the rock star doing the math in his head, just as Luka had when he’d seen the date on the sleeve of his mother’s old album.** **  
** **

“Huh,” was all Jagged said before releasing his hand. “So you play, Luka?” ** **  
** **

“Guitar just like my mom,” Luka replied, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I play lead in a band with some friends of mine and my sister, Juleka, plays bass.”** **  
** **

“He’s amazing, Jagged,” Marinette put in. “You should hear him. I mean, I know you heard him on the boat with the band for a bit, but you didn’t stay very long that day.”** **  
** **

“That so, eh?” Jagged gave her a sly look. “Does he play better than Aaaaadrieeeen?”** **  
** **

Marinette went white and then red. “Adrien’s great on the piano but Luka’s the best guitarist I’ve ever heard,” she said staunchly, and it was Luka’s turn to blush. “You kind of put me on the spot that day and I wasn’t thinking very clearly. Of course, I’m not really a musician myself so maybe my judgement isn’t the best. You’ll just have to jam with Luka yourself if you want to see how good he is. If _ he’s _ willing to play with _ you_, that is.” She shot Luka a wink. ** **  
** **

“If Nanarchy taught him, he’s gotta be good,” Jagged said, looking Luka over again with an expression Luka couldn’t quite read. Then Jagged frowned, looking over their heads. “Penny, sleaze alert.”** **  
** **

“Jagged!” cried a familiar voice that put Luka’s teeth on edge. He felt Marinette’s hand slip into his. She drew him back with her a bit so that Jagged was between them and Bob Roth when he approached. Luka locked his fingers through hers and pulled her a little behind him, and he felt her free hand on his back. ** **  
** **

“I’m just catching up with my favorite young fan.” Jagged swept his arm toward Marinette, and Luka’s fingers tightened around hers. Bob followed his gaze and sniffed.** **  
** **

“Oh, it’s you, petite. Jagged hasn’t dropped you yet?”** **  
** **

“Marinette did Penny’s dress for tonight,” Jagged said, waving his drink towards Penny. “Be nice, Bob, Marinette’s a great talent. She’s gonna go places.”** **  
** **

Bob snorted, and Luka gritted his teeth. “We’ll see,” Boh muttered, “But your boyfriend here is dead weight, petite. He’s not going anywhere in the music business after what he and the bug did to me.” ** **  
** **

“You’re hardly in any position to make threats, Mr. Roth,” Marinette said coldly, gripping Luka’s arm. “Everyone knows now what you tried to do.”** **  
** **

“Everyone knows, and no one cares,” scoffed Bob. “I told you the whole music industry is eating out of my hand. And you, kid,” he addressed Luka, “You’re going to be begging XY to do your music, because you’ll never get anyone else to give you a second listen.”** **  
** **

“I wouldn’t sell my toenail clippings to XY after what you pulled,” Luka bit out. ** **  
** **

Jagged burst out laughing and Luka jolted as the rock star flung an arm around his shoulders. “Bob, you don’t know what you’re talking about. If you’re this against him he must be good. Come on, Luka, this sounds like a story I need to hear. See you around, Bob.” And with that, Jagged Stone turned his back on Bob Roth and marched off with a bewildered Luka under his arm, Marinette trotting to catch up with them.** **  
** **

Luka planted his feet for a moment, refusing to go any further until Marinette’s hand was back in his. “Are you all right, Luka?” she asked worriedly. ** **  
** **

“I’ve been better,” he admitted, glancing at her and trying to give her a reassuring smile. “That guy pisses me off, but I don’t plan on letting him or some stupid butterfly ruin our night.” She gave him a glowing smile, and he squeezed her hand.** **  
** **

“That guy’s a leech,” Jagged snorted. “And he calls _ me _ a has-been. Don’t buy into his threats, he’s a bully but he’s a dinosaur and he’s on his way out.” He grinned and dropped his voice, moving between Luka and Marinette to drop his arms around their necks and pull their heads close. “I’m not allowed to say anything yet, but Penny here has _ plans _ .” He giggled, and made kissy faces at Penny, whose dark cheeks shaded pink. ** **  
** **

Marinette giggled too. “I’m glad to hear it, Jagged.” ** **  
** **

“Now’s not really the place to be talking about those kinds of things,” Penny admonished. “And you have a lot of people left to meet, Jagged.” She nudged Jagged with her elbow. “And we don’t want to keep Marinette from her _ date_.” ** **  
** **

Luka had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing as Jagged looked at him with dawning comprehension and a sudden expression of glee. “Yes!” he crowed. “Yes, you take my Marinette and go show her a good time, she’s way too rock ‘n roll for that model kid anyhow. Holy balls, this is awesome, this is perfect, does Nanarchy know? Yes, take her, go dance. Penny! Penny, go tell ‘em to play some sappy shit for a while, okay? We’ll rock out later after the kids go home. Mood music, that’s what we need right now.”** **  
** **

Luka looked away and coughed, trying to cover his laughter at the look on Marinette’s face. Penny winked at them as she led Jagged away, and Marinette put her hands over her face. “I swear, he’s more embarrassing than my parents.”** **  
** **

“Come on,” Luka offered his arm, still chuckling. “I’d hate to disappoint him, although…” He winced at the overly formal music that began playing. “I don’t exactly know how to waltz.”** **  
** **

“That’s too bad, Marinette’s a great dancer,” Adrien smiled at her. ** **  
** **

She flushed. “Oh, no I’m not, you just made it easy to follow.”** **  
** **

Adrien looked eagerly at the dance floor, and turned to Kagami. “Would you like to dance, Kagami?” ** **  
** **

Kagami looked down at the tight lines of her kimono and out at the dance floor dubiously. “I don’t think I can.”** **  
** **

“That’s such a shame,” murmured Marinette at Luka’s elbow. “I wonder if I could…” she trailed off, studying Kagami’s kimono, and Luka chuckled.** **  
** **

“You’ve got your designing face on.” He nudged Marinette.** **  
** **

“Sorry,” she giggled. “I’ll stop.” ** **  
** **

“I’d never ask you too,” Luka assured her. “But I’m not sure even you can turn Kagami’s outfit into something fit for ballroom dances. Why don’t you and Adrien go dance?”** **  
** **

All three of them turned and looked at him. Luka shrugged. “Kagami can’t, and I don’t know how. You two go ahead, and Kagami and I can hang out here.”** **  
** **

“Do you want to, Marinette?” Adrien asked, eyes eager. “I hardly ever get to dance.”** **  
** **

“Ah...um, sure, okay? If Kagami doesn’t mind.” Marinette looked nervously between Kagami and Luka.** **  
** **

Kagami mustered a smile that was mostly genuine. “Go ahead.” ** **  
** **

“Great!” Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand. ** **  
** **

As they passed Luka, Marinette paused to grab his arm, tugging him down so she could whisper, “She’s really super nice but she’s terrible at small talk. She’s not trying to shut you down, I promise, just keep talking. I promise she’s more interested than she sounds.”** **  
** **

Then she was gone, walking to the dance floor on Adrien’s arm.

“So, Kagami, what kind of music do you like?” Luka asked.** **  
** **

“You probably haven’t heard any of it,” Kagami replied flatly, and Luka smiled to himself. 

“I might surprise you. I prefer rock, but I listen to a lot of different kinds of music. So. Anime, J-Pop, or Japanese traditional?” He raised his eyebrows slightly. “I’m starting there because you seem very tuned in to your traditions, but if you’re really into say, Chilean folk music, you can tell me, I won’t judge. I like all kinds of music.”

Kagami cracked a small smile. “You’re correct, most of what I’ve heard is traditional Japanese music, but I’m not passionate about it. I’ve listened to Adrien perform some classical piano as well. I enjoyed some of it. I guess music just doesn’t move me the way it does you.”

“You might enjoy it more if you learned more of the traditions behind it.” Kagami tilted her head at him and Luka smiled. “Nobody experiences music the same way. Some people have an intuitive understanding or an emotional connection. Some people have to learn the language of music before they can really understand it. Just like haiku, right? A layperson may appreciate the beauty of a single haiku or find themselves moved by it. But there’s an entire tradition behind haiku poetry and the symbolism it uses, and it’s hard to fully appreciate it as an art form without delving into the tradition behind it.”

"I see. You make a solid argument,” Kagami replied. “Perhaps the next time Adrien performs I can ask him for some background on the pieces.” She looked at him. “I would not have expected you to cite haiku as an example.”

“Music and poetry are closely tied,” Luka shrugged. “I’m honestly not very good at poetry, I feel like the music itself is simpler without words and I’ve always collaborated with someone else when a song needed vocals, but it’s still worth learning about. Some of it is really beautiful.” 

“It’s admirable for you to pursue a line of study that’s difficult for you.”

“Thanks,” Luka chuckled. 

Kagami hesitated. “I’m going to ask something that may be upsetting.”

“I don’t get upset easily, but I’ll tell you if you cross a line,” Luka promised.

Kagami smiled slightly. “Thank you. Why did you send Marinette to dance with Adrien? You must know she likes him and I can see that you like her. Why would you give your opponent an advantage?”

Luka chuckled. “He’s not my opponent.”

Kagami’s eyebrows rose slightly. “You don’t consider him competition?”

“I don’t consider love a competition,” Luka corrected. “I want Marinette to be happy. If she would be happier with Adrien, what good would it do to keep them apart? It wouldn’t change how they feel.” He looked at her. “Are you upset that Adrien wanted to dance with her?”

Kagami considered that, lips pressed together. “I don’t like it,” she said at last. “But if I have to lose him to someone, it wouldn’t be so bad if it were Marinette. At least then, we could all stay friends.” She glanced at Luka and then away. “I don’t have many friends.”

“It’s quality that counts, so you’re on the right track with those two,” Luka smiled at her. “So how did you and Marinette become friends?”

Kagami gave a true smile for perhaps the first time that evening. By the time she finished telling him about friendship day, a story that had him chuckling for the sheer _ Marinetteness _ of it all, Adrien and Marinette were back, both all smiles. 

“Thanks for waiting, Kagami,” Adrien said, as he returned to her side. Kagami slipped her hand through his arm a little possessively but her smile was honest.

“I was fine. Luka is good company. He’s an interesting person.” 

Marinette beamed at him and Luka returned a smile of his own, lifting his arm slightly in invitation. Marinette leaned against him and he put his arm around her shoulders.

“Did you have fun?”

She nodded, cheeks pink. “Will you be okay if I leave you for a little bit longer?”

Luka blinked. “Sure, but where are you going?”

She winked at him with a devilish smile that made him weak. “It’s a surprise.” 

“I’ll be here,” he said, a little breathless. Marinette slipped away from him, took Kagami by the arm and whispered in her ear. Kagami looked at her curiously but didn’t object when Marinette pulled her away.

“We’re going to restroom, we’ll be back in a minute!” Marinette said cheerfully. 

“That’s interesting,” Luka observed, watching the girls make their slow way out of the ballroom. “What’s she up to now?”

“With Marinette, who knows?” Adrien said fondly. “Maybe we should get some drinks and find a table while we’re waiting.”

“You two do look really great,” Adrien said as they moved off in search of a server. “Marinette’s work is always amazing but she really outdid herself tonight.”

“You should’ve seen me when I picked her up,” Luka told Adrien with a chuckle. “I’m sure it was hilarious given I couldn’t blink for a full minute. I felt like such a cliche.”

“You’re really gone on her, aren’t you?”

“Who wouldn’t be? She’s amazing. You’d have to be an idiot to turn down a girl like that. Honestly I can’t believe she’s still single.”

Adrien chuckled. “She’s had a little bit of bad luck there. The last guy who was crushing on her could barely talk to her and ended up falling for her best friend. And the one before that was akumatized over it and I think after that he was too embarrassed to talk to her.” He snagged two glasses of water from a passing server with practiced ease and handed them to Luka. 

_ Meanwhile the guy she’s in love with is either willfully blind or the nicest idiot I’ve ever met. Poor Marinette. _

“Well, she seems like she’s really into you too. I’m glad for you both,” Adrien continued. “Marinette’s a good friend and I’m glad you make her happy.” Adrien patted Luka’s arm.

Luka looked at him incredulously. “We’re not together. I’m not the person she wants to be with.” 

Adrien looked back at him, blinking cluelessly. “You don’t think so?”

“I _ know _ it’s not so,” Luka said firmly, as Adrien made another grab for water. Triumphant, they moved towards the tables set up around the outside of the ballroom.

“But—didn’t she ask you here? And she made your clothes.”

“That’s just Marinette being Marinette. She’s sweet and thoughtful and—” Luka sighed, placed the glasses on a table, and faced Adrien fully. “Look, I just don’t want Marinette to be hurt because you, or anyone else, got the wrong idea. I like Marinette, but she’s not my girlfriend and I don’t have any claim on her. Nobody who asks her to dance or asks her out is stepping on my toes. As much as I wish it were otherwise, it’s Marinette's decision who she wants to be with and she hasn’t picked me. I want her to be happy and if there’s someone else she’d rather be with, she should be with them.”

“I don’t understand,” Adrien shook his head. “If you love her, shouldn’t you fight for her?” He looked away, setting his own drinks down and reaching for a chair. “The girl I love has been turning me down for months,” he said morosely as he sat down. “She says she’s in love with someone else, but I don’t think I could just accept that and stop pursuing her. I can’t just let her go.”

Luka stared at him for a moment. _ Oh, shit, Marinette, I’m so sorry. _ “The words we use for this are so messed up,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes with one hand as he sat down. “Fight for her, pursue her, that’s such an aggressive way to put it.” Luka sighed. “I'm not letting her go, I’m letting her _ choose _. All those grand romantic gestures people get so worked up about, nobody talks about it much but they put a lot of pressure on girls, and that’s just not my style.” He tapped the rhythm of the song playing on the table as he thought through his words. “The thing is, I want Marinette to trust me and to know I’ll be there for her through anything. She’s been going through a really rough time lately, and if I did things your way, I couldn’t have helped her. She never would have let her guard down with me if I was pushing her to be in a relationship all the time.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug and sat back in his chair. 

“I’m okay with the way things are,” he said after a moment. “She knows how I feel and I know she’s not ready. Maybe she never will be, maybe she’ll always be in love with someone else, or maybe I’ll meet someone else and move on. Maybe ten years from now she’ll design my fiancée's dress and I’ll play a song I wrote for her wedding. We’re still kids, man, anything could happen. No need to rush.”** **  
** **

“If that’s the way you feel, why did you tell her your feelings at all?” Adrien wanted to know. ** **  
** **

Luka shrugged. “Marinette’s an incredible person but she doesn’t realize how amazing she really is. She should know that she’s loved and admired.” He made a face. “And to tell you the truth, I’m terrible at expressing myself without my guitar, and I don’t want any misunderstandings to get between us. I find it’s best if I just say what I mean right out, even if it’s a little uncomfortable.”** **  
** **

“So what are you going to do?” Adrien sighed, clearly only half listening.** **  
** **

“Love her until I stop.” Luka shrugged. “What other choice is there?”** **  
** **

Adrien looked at him, coming back from his dream world. “You think you’ll stop?”** **  
** **

“Someday, when I put some effort into it. Love is like anything else, you have to feed it for it to grow. You can starve it out if you try hard enough. But right now? I’d rather just love her, even if it hurts.” Luka shook his head slightly. “And if you’re really dead set on loving some other girl, you better be careful with Kagami. You’re going to break her heart to bits at the rate you’re going.” If he had to play Kagami’s heart, it would be strong and soft, but thin, lacking harmonies, with notes that flowed ever onward even as they trembled. Forceful, but lonely, brittle, too easily shattered. That would be sad. ** **  
** **

Adrien winced. “Yeah,” he muttered.** **  
** **

“Ignoring someone’s feelings and hoping they go away isn’t letting them down easy, Adrien. More like death by a thousand cuts.”** **  
** **

Adrien’s wince became a full-on cringe. “I get it. I’ll think about it, I just…” He sighed. “I don’t even like rejecting fan girls who think they’re in love with a face they’ve only seen in the magazines. It’s worse when it’s someone I actually care about.”** **  
** **

“If you care about her, be honest with her,” Luka urged, a little irritated at Adrien’s misplaced kindness. “It’ll hurt, but not as much as it will if you drag it out and make her figure it out on her own.”** **  
** **

“Yeah,” Adrien muttered, dropping his head into his arms on the table. ** **  
** **

Luka clapped a hand on his shoulder. “It’s rough, being rich and good looking and still a decent person. Good luck, Agreste.”** **  
** **

“You too, Couffaine.” Adrien lifted his head and smiled and the two boys bumped fists. ** **  
** **

“Oi, Luka!” Jagged was back, pulling Luka up from the table. “‘Scuse us for a second, mate.” He pulled Luka a short distance away and then put his arm around Luka’s shoulders, putting their heads close together.** **  
** **

“Kid, what are you doing?” Jagged hissed. “Why was Marinette dancing with Sir Pasty? And where is she now?”** **  
** **

“He asked her,” Luka shrugged, pulling away slightly. “They’re friends.”** **  
** **

Jagged gave him a look. “Then he must be her only friend, because her room was plastered in pictures of him.”** **  
** **

“What’s your point?” Luka asked, sighing. _ Think like he’s twelve _ , he reminded himself. ** **  
** **

“My point is a girl like that does not come around very often and you need to lock that shit down,” Jagged told him. “She’d be wasted on someone like him, she’s too rock ‘n roll for that.”** **  
** **

“That’s her choice to make,” Luka replied, sticking his hands in his pockets and trying not to show his growing annoyance. “Why do you care?”** **  
** **

Jagged gave him a look. “Listen, kid—Luka—I don’t know what your ma’s been telling you—I know I made some mistakes back then and I coulda been there for you more but—”** **  
** **

“She didn’t tell me anything and I didn’t ask,” Luka cut him off. “Look, whatever happened between you and my mom back then, that’s between you two. And whatever’s happening between Marinette and me, which, just to be clear, is a whole lot of nothing right now, that’s between me and her.” He paused, surveying the rock star, who was staring right back at him with the same measuring expression. “As for you and me,” Luka said quietly, “I’ve gone most of my life without a father figure and I did fine. I’ve got crazy respect for everything you’ve accomplished but I don’t need you. There’s nothing you can give me that I can’t get on my own with enough work. Take a good look at me, Jagged. I’m not changing who I am for you or anyone else, so think about how you want the next conversation to go. You can just shrug your shoulders and go on with your life, I won’t really care. If that’s not what you want, then fine, we can talk, but not here and not tonight. Don’t think you can barrel into my life and push me around. I don’t care about your money and I don’t want your name, and I _ damn _ well won’t be used as leverage on Marinette or my mother. I’m not rearranging my life every time you decide to pop back into town. If you can live with that, then you know where to find me. But tonight I’m not here for you, I’m here for Marinette.” He exhaled just a little shakily, looking his once-idol in the eye. ** **  
** **

Jagged shook his head slowly. “You might have my eyes kid, but you’re just like your mother,” Jagged muttered. “So damn stubborn. All right, I get the message. But trust me, Luka, you don’t want to let a girl like Marinette get away.” He patted Luka’s shoulder and moved off.** **  
** **

Luka took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then went back to the table with Adrien. He just shook his head at Adrien’s questions and drained his glass of water.** **  
** **

“We’re back!”** **  
** **

The boys stood up and turned around and both of them stared. Kagami was wearing Marinette’s dress, while Marinette was wrapped in the folds of Kahami’s kimono. “Tada!” Marientte said cheerfully, spreading her arms. “Now Kagami and Adrien can dance!” ** **  
** **

The dress didn’t fit Kagami as perfectly as it did Marinette, but the girls were close enough in size and build that it worked. Marinette was adorable in Kagami’s kimono, but she didn’t carry the garment with Kagami’s ease and elegance. With some amusement Luka noticed Marinette still wore her own shoes. He was a little relieved, he didn’t think Marinette would be able to stay upright on Kagami’s wooden sandals. ** **  
** **

Kagami was blushing, fidgeting with Marinette’s shawl where it draped around her shoulders, and couldn’t quite meet anyone’s eye. Adrien stood up. “Wow, Marinette, that’s really cool of you.” He grinned broadly and swept a bow for Kagami. Luka kind of wanted to kick him. “May I have this dance?”** **  
** **

“Thank you,” Kagami whispered to Marinette as she put her hand in Adrien’s and let him lead her away.** **  
** **

“You just made her night,” Luka said admiringly, rising to stand next to Marinette. “You’re really something else, Marinette.”** **  
** **

Marinette smiled, and then frowned, looking down at herself. “I’m sorry, Luka,” she said. “I’m afraid I need to sit things out while I’m in this. There really isn’t a lot of room to move and I’m terrified I’m going to fall and rip something. I’ve never worn a kimono before and Kagami said this is a family heirloom!” ** **  
** **

“We could go out on the balcony for a bit,” Luka suggested. He rolled his tense shoulders. “Frankly I could use some air, and there would be fewer people to watch out for.” ** **  
** **

“That sounds perfect,” Marinette said fervently. “Only please hold on to me in case I trip.”** **  
** **

Luka took her hand and drew it through his arm. “No problem. I won’t let you fall.”** **  
** **

She squeezed his arm and beamed up at him. “Thanks, Luka. And thanks for being so understanding about this. I’m sorry for taking you away from the party, it’s just, Kagami looked so sad and her mother is so strict, I just wanted her to be able to have fun for a little bit. We’ll switch back after a couple dances and then we can go back to the party. I don’t want to ruin your night.” ** **  
** **

“Honestly Marinette, I don’t care if we’re dancing or people-watching or whatever. I just like spending time with you. Nothing could ruin this night. I’m looking sharp in this custom designed suit, and I have a beautiful, generous girl on my arm. Best night ever.” He grinned at her. ** **  
** **

She smiled back, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Marinette, what’s wrong?” Luka asked as he opened the door to the balcony for her. It wasn’t as crowded as inside, but there were still a fair number of people milling about. They managed to find a corner partially shielded from the wind and other people thanks to a large planter.** **  
** **

“Nothing, I just...you shouldn’t think so highly of me, Luka. I’m not that great. I was kind of awful to Kagami the first few times we met. She seemed so perfect and so cold and she made me feel so pathetic and immature. I was jealous and I didn’t realize how lonely she was or how badly she just wanted a friend. I feel terrible for the way I treated her.” She leaned against the balcony railing and put her chin in her hand. ** **  
** **

“Marinette,” Luka sighed admiringly, shaking his head with a soft smile. He shrugged off his jacket and put it over her shoulders, and leaned his elbows on the railing beside her. “You have no idea how amazing you are.”** **  
** **

She turned to look at him with wide eyes, and blushed when he met her gaze. “You being jealous? That’s natural,” he told her. “Normal, even. Acting badly because of it, well, that’s human. But recognizing that you were wrong and not only deciding to do better, but deciding to be her friend because you could see that she was lonely? That’s what makes you amazing.”** **  
** **

“Isn’t that just...being a decent person?” ** **  
** **

“Decent people are rarer than you think, trust me. Even most decent people would just do the bare minimum. Trading outfits and giving her the dress you designed so she can dance with the guy you’re in love with? That’s way more than the minimum.”** **  
** **

Marinette gasped. “How did you know—argh, of course you know, ugh…” She slumped against the balcony rail. “Freaking everybody knew except Adrien,” she muttered.** **  
** **

“You care so much, Marinette. It’s…” He shook his head and sighed. He leaned over and kissed her temple. “It’s one of the things I really love about you.” ** **  
** **

Her face erupted in a fierce blush as she gasped and slapped her hands over her face.** **  
** **

Chuckling, Luka looked away to give her time to recover. After a moment he felt her arms circle his and her cheek pressed to his shoulder, and he smiled. They were quiet for a few minutes and suddenly Luka realized Marinette was trembling. ** **  
** **

“Are you cold, Marinette?”

“No,” she said quickly, and she took a deep breath. “It’s just that...well...I actually think...I’m not in love with him anymore,” she finished in a rush.** **  
** **

Luka couldn’t have spoken in that moment if his life depended on it. He had just enough sense left to keep his mouth from hanging open, but that was it. Marinette glanced at him, cheeks red, and then away, as she went on. “Something happened a while ago...and...I didn’t exactly tell him my feelings but...I think I still got, I don’t know, closure? He’s in love with someone else. It’s taken me a while to get there, but I’m starting to be okay with that. After all, if there’s someone else he loves, he should be with her, right? I want him to be happy, even if it hurts. That’s...kind of when I started trying to focus back on myself, trying to remember there was more to me than just...him.”** **  
** **

Still speechless, Luka put his arm around her and she leaned into him, cuddling close against his side, gripping his shirt. “We were getting closer, for a while,” she continued quietly. “But then...I don’t know. We just seemed to fall apart. Like we got out of sync somehow. Like two ships passing in the night, except for us it was broad daylight and when we got close enough to shout, I couldn’t say anything and he just yelled ‘You’re such a good friend, Marinette.’” Luka had to laugh at that, but there was a slightly hysterical edge to it and he stifled it quickly. Marinette took a deep breath, and he could feel the tension in her shoulders under his arm. “I feel like...whatever opportunity was there, I missed it. And I—I don’t want to miss another one.” She took another deep breath and let it out shakily. “I don’t want to miss you.”** **  
** **

Luka was no stranger to adrenaline. The rush of performing, the surge that came at the sight of a little black and red box, even the thumping heart and rush of heat the moment before lips touch lips, he knew them all, but he had never felt like this. He felt hot and cold at the same time, his stomach clenching up, and a blind, irrational desire to flee that he only resisted because his entire body felt paralyzed.** **  
** **

His mind treated him to a high speed replay of all those strangely charged moments over the last month that didn’t quite make sense before because she loved Adrien, dissonant notes that suddenly resolved now into a perfect consonant chord because—she didn’t. She didn’t love Adrien anymore. Luka had sensed it, even as his head refused to believe it. But something in him _ had _ believed it, he realized, because if he hadn’t he would never have let things go so far. He remembered the time she kissed him on her balcony the day she finished painting his guitar. He had a vivid flashback to the frustration he’d felt the day of the photo shoot when he’d kissed her even though he knew better, when he’d wondered how it could feel so right when he knew she loved somebody else. ** **  
** **

Except...she didn’t love someone else.** **  
** **

“Luka?” Marinette looked up at him in alarm. He blinked and wondered how long he’d been standing there silent and rigid.** **  
** **

“I’m okay,” he lied. “I just...I wasn’t expecting that. I don’t—I mean I do—“ He gave up on trying to handle this at all calmly. “Okay I think I need a minute to process this.”** **  
** **

“Sorry,” she giggled nervously, playing with a tendril of her hair like that wasn’t distracting at all. “This really wasn’t in my plan for tonight, but it just...seemed like the best opening I was going to get. I mean...I’ve been trying for weeks to talk to you about all this but I keep second guessing. You’re my friend, more than my friend, and I don’t want to hurt you, Luka. I’m...I’m afraid, that I’m not clear enough in my own head to know what I want, and I’m scared of—of leading you on and then finding out that I can’t—“ she huffed a sigh of frustration. “But that kind of overthinking is what always got me messed up with Adrien and—I can’t say it in music like you can, but you’ve always been so brave about speaking your feelings, and I thought, maybe this is one time I could be that brave too, and then maybe I wouldn’t have to figure it all out on my own…” She bit her lip, looking up at him anxiously. ** **  
** **

Part of him knew he should be cautious, whispering words like _ rebound _ and _ second choice _ and...yeah, the hell with all that. ** **  
** **

“You don’t have to have all the answers right away,” he told her, wrapping his hands around her shoulders. “I understand why you’re worried and I’m glad you’re thinking about these things but—“ Luka moved one hand to cradle her face, brushing his thumb along her cheek. “I trust you to stay honest with me, and if it doesn’t work out—well, I can handle pain. Regrets are a lot harder to live with.”** **  
** **

Her lips parted and she took a shaky breath. “I...really like you, Luka. I love the way I feel when I’m with you. Will you...be my boyfriend?”** **  
** **

The grin that spread over his face wasn’t remotely cool or reserved. “Hell yeah.”** **  
** **

Marinette was blushing prettily and couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “Okay. Good. So...What now?”** **  
** **

“Well,” Luka glanced around at the people milling on the balcony. “I don’t think now’s really the time, but you should know I’m planning to kiss the hell out of you in the very near future.”** **  
** **

A satisfying shiver went through her, and his grin widened at the flush that went all the way down her neck. Then she gave him that devastating little smirk of hers and whispered back, “Well, you’d better do a good job.”** **  
** **

Dead. Gone. Here lies Luka Couffaine, absolutely slain by irresistible pink lips, the most creative mind he has ever known, and a pair of gorgeous blue eyes. He died hopelessly in love and fantastically happy.** **  
** **

And he couldn’t touch her because they were surrounded by people and she was wrapped in a borrowed family heirloom kimono. _ Damn _ it. ** **  
** **

Luka lifted her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, keeping his eyes on hers. He smiled against her skin at the catch in her breath and the slight widening of her eyes. ** **  
** **

“So,” Luka said, slipping his arm around her waist and tugging her back against his side. “I’m kind of useless at all that ballroom stuff, but I’d still like to dance with you later. I don’t know the steps but I have excellent rhythm.”** **  
** **

“As long as you don’t mind my two left feet,” Marinette snuggled close and he thought if he smiled any wider his face might crack in two. ** **  
** **

“I love your feet,” he told her. “Almost as much as I love your hands. Which is about half as much as I love your eyes.”** **  
** **

“Stop,” she giggled.** **  
** **

“Never,” he sighed happily. “You’re just going to have to put up with hearing exactly how awesome I think you are.”** **  
** **

“And here I thought I was gonna be dating a cool older man,” Marinette huffed.** **  
** **

“I am cool, and older,” he chuckled, squeezing her lightly. “I also don’t ever want you to be confused for even one second about what I feel for you.” Her face flooded with color, and he could feel her start to fidget. “Listen, I’m not trying to pressure you,” he told her softly. “I promise I heard what you were telling me, that you’re not completely sure about us yet but you want to try. I don’t ever want you to say anything to me that isn’t completely true in your heart. I’m just telling you the things that I know are true in mine. I know you feel insecure sometimes. I know you worry that you’re not good enough. I just don’t ever want you to be worried about that with me, okay?”** **  
** **

Marinette didn’t answer, but he felt her relax into him, and they stood quietly together for a moment. “I love your hands too,” she murmured. “Especially this one.” She picked up his left hand and turned it over, running her fingertips over the roughened pads of his. “I know you make music with both, but…” ** **  
** **

“I think I know what you mean,” he said, taking her right hand gently and running his thumb lightly over the callus on the side her middle finger, where her sketching pencil rested. “It’s just a little more real when you can feel it.”** **  
** **

“Luka! Marinette!” They turned to find Kagami and Adrien coming toward them, still arm in arm. “They’re announcing dinner soon,” Adrien explained. “We figured you’d better swap back before then.” ** **  
** **

“Oh, she looks so happy,” Marinette whispered, squeezing Luka’s arm, and it was true. Kagami was glowing, practically floating on air as they approached, and Luka couldn’t help smiling at the sight, though at the same time he kind of wanted to smack Adrien. He took his suit coat back from Marinette and let her go to catch hands with Kagami, and the two girls went giggling back towards the restroom as Adrien came to lean on the rail next to Luka, looking content but not nearly as radiantly happy as his date. Luka felt a pang for Kagami’s sake, but he couldn’t think of anything to say to Adrien that he hadn’t already said. ** **  
** **

Speaking of which...

“Hey Adrien,” Luka said softly, watching the girls slip through the door back into the ballroom. “You know all that stuff I said earlier about Marinette and me?”

“Yeah?”

Luka grinned broadly, turning back to face the Paris skyline. “I take it all back.”

* * *

Luka couldn’t have described a single thing they had for dinner that night. He didn’t hear a word of the mayor’s speech. He couldn’t have said when Jagged interrupted it or why Fang was suddenly on stage. He was barely aware when Adrien and Kagami said their goodbyes, having been forbidden to stay for the afterparty. He was so out of it that he was able to keep his cool and speak normally when Jagged kept dragging them over to meet various colleagues, many of whom were almost as famous as Jagged. 

It just all felt like a dream until he was on the dance floor with Marinette, until he could feel her hands behind his neck, her soft hair against his cheek, the sway of her hips under his hands as they moved in slow circles. He spared a moment to be thankful that someone with less pretension or a better sense of their audience had gotten hold of the sound system. Marinette lifted her head from his shoulder and there was a devilish tilt to her smile when she reminded him he’d promised to kiss her when they were alone. Which they weren’t, at the moment, surrounded by a fair number of other dancing couples.

He shot her a smirk of his own. “Keep looking at me like that and we might not make it that long.”

“We could leave now.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think we want to be here when Jagged turns this into a real party,” Marinette giggled, “And my parents were pretty generous with my curfew tonight but…”

“Right.” He forgot normal parents had things like curfew. “After this dance then?”

“Okay.” 

He pulled her closer and she laid her head on back on his shoulder with a sigh. Tomorrow there would be time to think about taking things slow and “are you sure” and all those smart things they both knew they’d have to deal with, but tonight...

Luka kissed her in the elevator the moment the doors closed, catching her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers harder than he’d meant to at first. He recovered quickly, kissing her softly but fervently, once, twice, and a third time, pulling away only at the chime announcing the doors’ imminent opening.

Marinette kissed him in the car, shyly at first, but he was more than willing to be patient and encouraging, and her confidence grew accordingly. She left him breathless by the time the car pulled up in front of the bakery. 

They kissed and kissed and kissed in the hallway outside of her door, until her phone rang and then abruptly cut off, and her mother called through the door for her to wrap it up and come inside, amusement plain in her voice.

He didn’t take his eyes off her as she backed through the door of her home, her hair ruffled and her cheeks pink, flashing him a smile with thoroughly kissed lips and eyes dancing with laughter at his own disheveled state and lovestruck expression. 

When she was gone he straightened his jacket, tucked in his shirt, and smoothed his hair but he wore her smeared lipstick home with pride, grinning like an idiot every time he caught his reflection in the car window. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be the end of the story, but I changed my mind and I have a mostly-written, fluffy little epilogue to go after this, hopefully by the end of the weekend. Thank you all for reading! <3


	7. Harmony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I posted chapters 6 and 7 pretty close together, so you may need to back up a chapter.)
> 
> My fluffy little epilogue got a little bigger than I planned, so more fluff for all! I was kinda drugged up from surgery when I first drafted this but I think I got it cleaned up. Let me know if I missed a glaring mistake.
> 
> Luka plays three songs in this fic, so here's an optional soundtrack. I'll list the songs in the end notes so they aren't spoiled, but if you want to play them as you go along, here they are. It should be obvious where they go. If figuring it out breaks your flow, don't worry about it, just enjoy the story and check out the music later.
> 
> 1\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GadcfrErLok  
2\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtV4IiHfyQA  
3\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fxL-sxN7fo  
4\. The fourth song is actually the same as the third, just a different version for the very end of the fic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yswDQr2akvY

Luka surveyed his preparations critically and sighed, concluding there was really nothing left to be done. Which meant now all he had to do was sit around and wait for Marinette. He kind of hated this part, but at least tonight his phone was silent. No akuma alerts.

He took a slow breath, and then another, not quite meditating, but...centering. Reflecting. The past few months had seen their ups and downs, but he didn’t regret a second of the time he’d spent with Marinette. 

It took him hours to get to sleep that night after the gala. He was too charged up to even try to sleep in his bunk, and only long discipline (and the knowledge that his mother and sister would kill him brutally if he woke them) kept him still on the couch in the sunroom until he finally fell asleep. 

He never had wiped the lipstick off his face, which earned him at least a week of mockery from both of them. 

Neither the mockery nor the lack of sleep kept Luka from waiting outside the bakery that afternoon for their first official date. He’d never forget the look on her face when she came flying out of the door, right before she tripped and took them both down to the sidewalk (he should have been more prepared for that, but he had been too busy grinning like a loon to brace for impact). They’d walked all over Paris looking for Andre, and had a long, honest, necessary talk at the same time. 

It hadn’t stopped them from having misunderstandings and frustrations, and one horrible day where he’d lost his cool completely because he’d been scared to death watching an Akuma toss her around on the news that afternoon, without her costume. He’d never been so grateful to Chat Noir in his life as he had been when the cat finally got her out of danger at least long enough for her to transform. Ladybug finished the fight, as she always did, but Luka had been livid that Marinette had run into the fight as Marinette, and she had fired up defensively, and they had yelled at each other so hard that her parents had gently but firmly kicked him out so they could both calm down. The fight was worse since neither could tell the other what they knew, and it had taken them both days to cool off enough to talk about it. It had taken him at least a full day to admit to himself that he’d been a little unfair, because he couldn’t yell at her for the things Ladybug did, so he’d had a store of bottled up fear and frustration just waiting to spill out. It was a couple of weeks before the hurt feelings on both sides faded enough for them to be totally comfortable with each other again.

The other big issue had been her ditching him for Akuma battles. He didn’t mind, he knew she had a job to do, but Luka had, after putting a lot of thought into the phrasing, finally asked her not to give him any more false excuses. “Just tell me when you can’t tell me,” Luka told her. “Just say you have to go or whatever, I won’t push. Just please don’t make up things. Whatever it is that you’re trying to cover up, I don’t care, I trust you not to hurt me. I just...I can hear when you lie and I don’t like it.” He knew his unconditional trust confused her, but she agreed. Luka hadn’t realized how much of a strain it had been on both of them, for Marinette to come up with the excuses and him to pretend to believe them, until they stopped. It was an immense relief for them both, as it turned out.

The majority of their disagreements were small hurts, things that could be talked through and soothed and forgiven, just the normal average process of fitting two people together. Marinette was sweet, attentive, affectionate, and her confidence in his love buoyed her up when she felt down on herself. They were everything he’d dreamed they could be together. Luka knew his feelings for her were still stronger than hers for him, but he was okay with letting her feelings grow at their own pace. 

He tapped a nail painted with electric blue and black swirls on the rail with a rueful smile. If only he could get her to stop giving him things. The magnetic nail polish was an exception, her gifts were mostly small, useful things that she made herself, but it was like she couldn’t help herself. When she thought of something he might like, she had to make it for him. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate them, he loved her little gifts, it was just that things felt a bit...unequal. His mind didn’t work exactly like hers and his skills didn’t lend themselves to the sorts of gestures she made, and it left him feeling a little guilty. It wasn’t as if he felt he needed to pay her back, exactly, neither of them was keeping score, it was just...he wanted to be able to do things for her, too.

Well, it gave him an excellent excuse to make every grand, over-the-top gesture that came into his own romantic heart, and he’d given himself full permission to go completely overboard tonight. He shoved the sleeves of his blue v-neck sweater up his arms out of habit, and then winced and pulled them back down again as another breeze cut across the deck. The evening was pleasantly cool except when the wind picked up, but there was always wind on the river. Marinette had looked at him as if he’d lost his mind when he’d told her to eat dinner at home and then come to the Liberty after sundown. He’d refused to tell her anything else except that they would be out on the deck and to dress warmly. 

He was just wondering if he should have gone to the bakery to escort her when he spotted her walking down the bank.

Luka came across the gangplank to meet her. She was wearing a pink wool dress with white stockings and a white sweater, and she reminded him of one of her pink macaroons with the white lacy icing. Luka took Marinette’s hands in his and kissed her cheek softly. “You have got to be the sweetest thing in that bakery,” he told her, standing back to look at her again admiringly. 

She grinned, bouncing lightly on her toes. “I brought you something.” 

“Marinette,” he sighed, smiling affectionately.

“I know, I know,” she said, bouncing on her toes. “Please?”

“Okay.” 

She put a necklace in his hands made of knotted cord decorated with blue and black beads. Marinette pointed to what looked like a metal teardrop on the end. “I saw these online the other day - you can slide your pick in it, see, in the holder here, and then you can take it out when you need it, or you can just swap out to match whatever you’re wearing. It can actually hold a few at once, but of course you’ll only see the front one. I actually got a few of the holders to experiment with, I think I can do some really cool things, and if Jagged likes them, it could be a cool new accessory line. I was thinking about braiding one into a bracelet for Juleka, but I haven’t had time.” 

Luka took a pick out of his pocket and slipped it in the holder. “Cool,” he grinned, putting the cord over his head, and Marinette bounced in excitement at his pleasure. He kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Marinette. I love it, really.”

“I made one for me too,” she said, backing up to show him his Jagged Stone pick around her own neck, on a cord decorated with pink and white beads. “So we can match. I mean, not matchy-match, more...coordinate.”

Luka chuckled and pulled her into his arms. “What am I going to do with you?” he sighed into her hair, and she snuggled into his chest happily. 

“I don’t know,” she said cheekily. “You wouldn’t tell me.”

Luka laughed, and let go of her, sliding his hands down her arms to take hers. “You wanna find out?”

“Where’s everyone else?” she asked as they crossed onto the boat. 

“Below. They won’t bother us. The newest book in Maman’s favorite series just came out and I just happened to pick her up a copy this afternoon, so she probably won’t leave her room until sometime tomorrow, and I’ve given Juleka her privacy for this kind of thing enough times that she owes me.”

“What kind of thing is—” Marinette cut off as she caught sight of the tiny flickering candles scattered all over the unusually uncluttered stern. 

“Oh, Luka,” she breathed, revolving slowly. 

“You like it?” 

“I love it, it’s so beautiful.” 

“I’m glad.” He took both her hands and guided her to the deck chair he’d set out for her. “Sit,” he said, and she sank into the chair, still looking around. One of the spool tables stood next to the chair, covered with a white cloth and decorated with a bowl (because a vase would tip over in a stiff breeze, he’d discovered the hard way) of flowers and more candles. Luka picked up a thermos that had been sitting by the table and poured hot chocolate into the waiting mug. “Something to help keep you warm.”

Marinette smiled as he handed it to her and took a sip. “Mm, it’s good,” she said, setting it the mug back on the table, knocking one of the little tea lights off in the process. Luka had to stop her from jumping up with a gasp. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he told her, smiling as he went to pick it up and show it to her. “Don’t worry, they’re battery powered. Fire is pretty much the worst thing that can happen on a boat so we can’t use real ones. They’re lighter than the real thing though so they’re easy to knock over, sorry about that.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Marinette sighed, sagging back in her chair.

Luka chuckled, kneeling in front of her chair as he set the candle back on the table. “I actually borrowed them from Juleka, she has a huge stockpile since she’s dating the most sappily romantic person on the planet. You wouldn’t believe how long she spent checking out every type of battery powered tea light she could get her hands on to find which one was the most realistic.” He shrugged. “I’m not above benefitting from all her hard work.” 

Marinette giggled, and then sighed. “You went to so much trouble,” she said, looking around. _ Too much trouble _, he could hear her not say.

Luka put his hand on her cheek and brought her gaze back to him, thumb caressing her cheekbone softly. “If I let you spoil me your way, you have to let me spoil you mine, okay?”

Marinette smiled at him with so much affection that his heart skipped and stuttered. “I guess I can’t argue with that.” 

Luka couldn’t help himself; he leaned forward and kissed her softly. She smelled like chocolate as she leaned into him and his fingers tightened around hers. “I’m getting off track here,” he said, forehead pressed against hers, and then kissed her again when she nudged him with her nose. He groaned in weak protest when she let go of his hands to tangle her fingers in his hair, and he kissed her one more time, letting her draw him deeper. When she’d had her way with him he pulled back, taking her hands from around his neck and kissing them both together. “Please let me do this for you.”

“Okay,” she smiled. “Sorry. I’m not trying to ruin your plans.” 

“I promise that’s in my plan too,” Luka chuckled. “But later.” He reached for the table and unwrapped the plate of cookies and snacks that had been waiting there, and pressed the mug of hot chocolate back into her hands. “There’s a blanket by the chair if you get cold. If the wind picks up too much we’ll move to the sunroom, but I prefer it out here if that’s okay.”

“It’s wonderful. This is all so nice,” she sighed, taking a sip. “Mm, that really is good, you’re going to have to tell me what you put in it later.”

He licked his lips as he stood, tasting the chocolate she’d left on his lips, and took a breath, trying to get his head together. “I wanted to play something for you, if that’s okay.”

“Of course it is, I love hearing you play,” Marinette replied, cocking her head slightly in confusion. He played for her all the time, after all.

Luka smiled and went over to the chair he’d set up for himself across from her, uncovering the clarsàch he’d hidden next to it with a flourish. Marinette lit up with understanding and pleasure. He smiled at her as he sat down, glancing behind him briefly as he settled the harp in place. He’d arranged things so that she could see the dark water of the Seine and the glowing pillars of Notre Dame behind him. 

Luka turned his attention to the harp and found to his embarrassment that his hands were shaking slightly. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, centering himself.

“Are you...nervous?” Marinette asked, her voice sounding almost awed. 

“A little,” he admitted, opening his eyes to give her a lopsided smile. “I don’t usually get nerves like this but...this is the first time I’ve played this for anyone, and I really want to get it right.”

“Luka.” The way she said her name gave him shivers, softly and so full of emotion she sounded on the verge of tears, and he knew it didn’t matter how well he played, because she’d already understood and accepted his gift.

He prepared to play his best anyway.

Luka set his now steady fingers to the strings, and played. He glanced up after the first few notes for just a moment, and smiled to himself at the slight crease between her brows. She recognized the song, but hadn’t placed it yet despite the distinctive opening notes. 

Her confusion remained as he played the first verse. _ I could stay awake just to hear you breathing, watch you smile while you are sleeping, while you’re far away and dreaming… _

He glanced up again as he reached the chorus, and caught the dawning recognition, the silent “o” her mouth made as she finally recognized it. He smiled to himself and returned his full attention to his playing.

_ I don’t wanna close my eyes, I don’t wanna fall asleep cause I’d miss you babe, and I don’t wanna miss a thing _

No amp, no speakers, just the soft, intimate sound of the harp connecting the air between them. It wasn’t as perfect, as smooth as it would have been on his guitar, but that was okay. It wasn’t about perfection. 

“Only you would play Aerosmith on a harp,” she giggled. 

“Not true,” Luka said with a smile, setting the harp carefully aside. “I had to get the music from somewhere, after all. I’m not anywhere near ready compose my own arrangements on this thing.” He reached for her hand. “Did you like it?”

“I loved it, it was so beautiful,” she said, all humor in her voice replaced by sincerity. She pulled his hand to her and kissed it. “Thank you, Luka. This has all been so special, I’m truly touched.” 

“You’re welcome, Marinette,” he said warmly, putting his other hand over hers for a moment. Then he let go and picked up his guitar from where he had tucked it behind a crate. He strummed for a moment, and improvised a soft, warm, melting melody. Marinette relaxed back in her chair and nibbled at the plate of snacks, still sipping at her hot chocolate.

He waited until she was distracted and then slipped into the next song he had planned. Marinette looked at him with round eyes, and he grinned at her. “Is that Motzart?” she asked with her mouth full. 

Luka chuckled. “Chopin, actually. Nocturne in B-Flat Minor.” 

Marinette swallowed her food and began to laugh. “You’re too much. Aerosmith on the harp and Chopin on electric guitar.” 

“Do you like it?”

“Absolutely,” she sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes as he played. He watched her with a smile on his face as he played. “That was really lovely,” she said wistfully when he finished. “Promise you’ll play it again sometime.”

“Of course, chérie, anytime you want,” he said, slipping into another improvised melody. Marinette looked at him in slight surprise. He’d never called her that before. Luka took a deep breath, stopped playing altogether and sang, “Je pense à toi, mon amour, ma bien aimée, ne m'abandonne pas, mon amour, ma chérie.” _ I think of you, my love, my beloved, don’t leave me, my love, my dear. _ Marinette’s eyes opened wide and she stared at him, a flush that wasn’t from the breeze darkening her cheeks. Luka grinned as he picked up the tune with his guitar, playing slower than it was written, and continued, “Quand je suis dans ma lit, je ne rêve qu’à toi, et quand je me réveille, je ne pense qu’à toi…” _ When I’m in my bed, I dream of nothing but you, and when I wake, I think of nothing but you. _

She looked at him like he had two heads during the verse and chorus, and he began to feel a little nervous, but her shock melted into something else as she unconsciously leaned toward him, eyes warm. Encouraged, Luka got up and moved to kneel in front of her, still playing. “Certains t’ont promis la terre, d’autres promettent le ciel, y’en a qui t’ont promis la lune, et moi je n’ai rien que ma pauvre guitare…” _ Some promise you the earth, others promise you the sky, there are some who promise the moon, and me I have nothing but my poor guitar. _

Marinette leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her knees as he sang softly, “Je pense à toi, mon amour, ma bien aimée, ne m'abandonne pas, mon amour, ma chérie.” The final strum faded away, and for a moment they were both motionless, lost in each others’ eyes.

“Now?” Marinette asked breathlessly. 

“Now,” Luka agreed, leaning into her as he set aside the guitar. Marinette threw her arms around him and kissed him so passionately he couldn’t remember his own name until she murmured it against his lips

Luka pulled her up from the chair and sat down on it, tugging her back down to seat her between his legs. She leaned back against him, and he bent down to pick up his guitar from the deck. He put his guitar in front of them both, reaching his long arms around her.

“Can you really play like this?” 

“We’re about to find out,” he chuckled. “You’re pretty small, I think it’ll be okay. Just scoot as close to me as you can.”

She snuggled back against him, and he nuzzled her cheek before testing his reach. It was a little awkward and her hands on his thighs were a little distracting, but he thought he could manage it. “Tell me if you get uncomfortable and we’ll move,” he murmured, and played as she snuggled close against him, leaning her head back on his shoulder. He played the peace of their hearts, the flicker of the candles, the rock of the boat on the river.

Eventually he set the guitar down and reached for the blanket next to the chair instead. He spread the blanket over them both and put his arms around Marinette’s waist. They sat, watching the stars and the lights on the water.

“This is heaven,” he said softly. Marinette giggled and he smiled, knowing what she was thinking. “Kissing you is amazing,” he told her, keeping his voice low. “Every time you touch me I get a thrill I can’t even describe. But this right here, just being quiet with you...I don’t know, it’s special. How often do you even just stop and be quiet at all, Marinette?”

“Pretty much never,” she admitted, keeping her voice soft as well. “Except...except with you.” She said it like it had never occurred to her before. “Thanks for being my quiet place, Luka.” Luka smiled up at the sky.

“Can I take your hair ties out?” he asked after a moment. 

“Hmm? Oh...sure, I guess.” 

Luka carefully pulled the ribbons from her pigtails. Then he ran his fingers through her hair from root to tip. Marinette’s eyes closed and her head tipped back, her lips parted in a quiet gasp. Luka smiled. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” he murmured, running his hands through her hair again. 

“Mmm,” Marinette sighed, melting into him. He chuckled. 

“I’m glad you like it as much as I do.” He kissed her cheek, and then sighed. “I’m going to say something and I swear it’s a compliment, but I’m not sure it’s going to come out right,” he said, a little uncharacteristic shyness in his voice. 

“I’m listening.”

“You make it hard to live in the moment.” He could feel her surprise and she waited for him to explain. “I’m not really the type of person to overthink stuff, you know? Really I probably ought to think of the future more, but I feel like it’s important to appreciate where you are right now. But sometimes with you it’s not as easy as it used to be. I can’t help thinking about all the things I want to do with you someday.” 

“Like, what kinds of things?” Marinette asked dreamily, still leaning into his touch as his fingers continued to move through her hair. 

“Like...doing just what we’re doing now, only out on the open ocean, with all the lights off so we can see the stars. Oh, you’ve never seen the sky until you’ve seen it like that, Marinette. Things like, a spring picnic up in the Alps, where the mountains just surround you and it feels like if you just jumped up in the air you’d be flying. I want you to teach me something I’ve never done before. I want us to learn something new together, something neither of us have ever done before.” He paused. “I just...I want to share things with you and I want you to share things with me.” He cringed slightly, letting his hands slip out of her hair and circle her waist. “Am I getting too heavy?”

“No,” Marinette said shyly. “Or...maybe, but I...tonight I think I like it.”

Luka hesitated. “There’s...one thing I’d kind of like to do that’s a little more achievable in the here and now.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like you to meet my friends. There’s an open mic night next week that a bunch of us were going to go to. Maybe you could come?”

Marinette was silent and he could feel her tense slightly. “Hey,” he said, nudging her temple with his nose. “Don’t go spiraling without me. Talk to me. Tell me what you’re feeling.”

“What if they don’t like me?”

Luka chuckled. “What if you don’t like them?” 

“Luka.”

“I’m serious,” he said, squeezing her lightly. “Maybe they won’t like you, maybe you won’t like them. That’s okay if it happens. You don’t have to be friends with everybody. Maybe you’ll like some of them and not others. Whatever happens, it won’t change anything between us. Worst case scenario, I see them at school and when we make plans to hang out, and I keep you all to myself when we’re together, just like we’ve been doing. It’s not some kind of test you have to pass. I don’t think you have to worry too hard about it, though, I think my friends are pretty cool people and they’ll see that you’re amazing. You seem to have a pretty high tolerance for weird, so I think you’ll be able to put up with them.” 

Marinette giggled and relaxed into him. “How are you so perfect?” 

A trickle of cold went down Luka’s spine. “I’m not, Marinette,” he said softly. “If you think I am, then you need to look closer, babe.”

“I know you’re not,” Marinette said seriously. She sat forward and tried to twist so she could see him. Luka pulled her up onto his lap and she leaned on his chest, their eyes nearly level. “You’re self-conscious. You’re not always proactive enough. You don’t always say what you’re thinking because you’re afraid it won’t come out right. You worry about others to the point where you neglect yourself or overwhelm them, you take too much on yourself, and you tend to hide behind your guitar. But those are all just the other side of all the things I love about you. You’re humble, laid back, considerate, empathetic, protective, responsible, and a true artist.”

Luka couldn’t breathe as he stared at her. “Are you okay?” she asked, and he nodded numbly. He reached up to hook his hand behind her neck and pulled her gently to his mouth. She kissed him, and then pulled back to look at him again. “I love you,” she told him, soft but sure. His chest tightened and his breath came short and quick. Luka pulled her back to his trembling lips and kissed her fiercely, aware of tears gathering behind his tightly closed eyelids. He focused on kissing her senseless so she wouldn’t notice when they slipped free. Even so he felt her hands on his face, thumbs wiping them away. “I’m sorry,” she spoke against his lips. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long.”

“No,” he said between kisses. “No, no, I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you so much.” He sighed, wiping the tears away himself. “Damn, sorry.” 

Marinette bit her lip, then took a shaky breath and sang softly, “Je pense à toi, mon amour, mon bien aimé, ne m'abandonne pas, mon amour, mon chéri.” Luka’s smile threatened to split his face. He already knew she had a sweet voice, but she was shy about singing around him. It was always a treat for him when she loosened up enough to let him hear her.

“Keep going,” he murmured. Marinette sang the line again, and her voice wavered slightly when he joined in with the harmony he hadn’t been able to sing alone, but she held true to her note. “Je pense à toi, mon amour, ma bien aimée, ne m'abandonne pas, mon amour, ma chérie.”

She paused, and he sang the next line for her. Marinette nodded and they sang it together, and this time she held the melody steady as he sang the harmony. “Quand je suis dans ma lit, je ne rêve qu’à toi, et quand je me réveille, je ne pense qu’à toi…” 

Slowly, they sang through the whole song, Luka giving her the line first and then the two of them together_ . _

Luka nudged her nose with his. “Not bad. I think we sound pretty good together.”

Marinette smiled, laying her head down on his shoulder and pressing her face into his neck. “Yeah. I think we do too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! Thank you so much for coming on this ride with me! Many many thanks for all the comments and good words, I always feel kinda stupid replying to comments if I don't have anything to say besides 'thank you,' but I read every one and love them. Many many thanks for everyone who read, bookmarked, left kudos, or commented, you make it so much fun to share the things that come out of my crazy brain and I appreciate it.
> 
> Here's the music used in this fic again, definitely check it out:
> 
> 1\. Aerosmith, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing (Harp Cover) by  
Amélie Guiboux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GadcfrErLok (she has a ton of harp covers and they're all beautiful, be sure to look at her other videos; Luka's harp would probably sound considerably different, but I'm taking a little license here because it's so pretty. you can search for clarsach music on youtube if you want to hear what an actual Scottish harp sounds like, there's not a lot but there is some)  
2\. Chopin, Nocturne Op. 9 No 1, by Salvador Joya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtV4IiHfyQA  
3\. Je Pense À Toi (original) by Amadou et Mariam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fxL-sxN7fo  
4\. Je Pense À Toi (cover) by Amar Amarni & Jasmina Petrovic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yswDQr2akvY


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